The Contract, in plain terms.

The American Contract platform is committed to the principle that the First Amendment is not a feature — it is the floor. We do not remove speech because it is unpopular, uncomfortable, or contrary to the views of the editor. We remove speech that violates the specific rules set forth below.

The following categories of speech are not permitted on the platform: direct incitement to imminent lawless action; true threats directed at specific individuals; content that constitutes harassment of a specific individual; defamatory statements of fact; and content that violates federal law.

The following categories of speech are explicitly protected: political opinion, including opinions contrary to the views of the editor; criticism of public figures, including elected officials; satire and parody, clearly labeled; historical discussion of controversial events; and religious expression.

Speech rule violations are reviewed by the Editor. Decisions are documented and published in the Speech Decisions Archive. All users subject to enforcement action have the right to appeal within 14 days of the decision, once, at /appeals. Every decision and every appeal outcome names the rule and the reason. Who decided is kept for internal accountability only; it is never sent to you or shown on any public page.

We consider context and intent in all enforcement decisions. A statement made in the context of historical analysis is treated differently from the same statement made as a direct assertion. We err on the side of protection, not removal.