Members of The Lantern Guild agree to uphold the following principles. Tools offered under this name must comply with all of them.
No paywalls, no hidden upsells, no "premium" tier that withholds safety features. Access to our tools and safety information is never gated behind payment. We believe digital literacy and protection are human rights, not luxuries.
No urgency, guilt, shame, or confusing design to change behavior. We refuse to use manipulation because we're actively fighting it. Our interfaces are clear, honest, and never exploit psychological vulnerabilities.
Every tool states what it can and cannot do. No overstating accuracy. We acknowledge uncertainty, edge cases, and the possibility of error. Users know our tools' boundaries and can make informed decisions about when to trust them.
Tools based on evidence and verifiable facts. No persuasion toward religious belief, political ideology, or personal value systems. We help identify what is false and what is true—never who is "good" or "bad."
Never sell, rent, share, or monetize user data. Trust is sacred. We do not use access to users' information, behavior, or vulnerability for any commercial purpose. User privacy is inviolable.
Disclose any funding, partnership, affiliation, or financial arrangement. Take no money that would require compromising principles. Complete transparency about our funding and incentives so users understand any potential conflicts of interest.
Designed for people new to technology, older users, and those using assistive tools. Scams and misinformation disproportionately harm vulnerable populations. Our tools must be usable by everyone, regardless of technical skill, ability, or experience.
Explain how tools work in language users understand. No jargon or obscurity. Users deserve to know what we're doing, how we're doing it, and why. Complex systems should be made understandable without oversimplification.
Members who violate this code may be removed. Users can report concerns and will receive a response. We hold ourselves and each other accountable. No silencing critics or ignoring reports of harm.
Maintain tools responsibly. Patch vulnerabilities promptly. Remove or archive unmaintained tools. Abandoned or broken tools undermine trust in the entire mission. If we can't maintain it, we don't publish it.