Content Policy
Last updated: May 2026 · Version 1.0
1. Our approach
Achene exists to help people share knowledge and learn from one another. We believe almost any subject can be taught thoughtfully and responsibly — including difficult, complex, or controversial ones. History, ethics, politics, science, and the arts are all richer for honest, open discussion.
At the same time, not everything framed as teaching is actually educational. This policy draws a clear line: discussing or analysing a subject is not the same as promoting or facilitating harm. A course on the history of extremism is welcome. A course that recruits people into an extremist movement is not.
We review every course before it goes live. This policy explains what we’re looking for.
2. What we welcome
Achene is designed for curious, thoughtful people. We actively encourage:
- Critical and analytical teaching — Courses that examine difficult topics — including harmful ideologies, historical atrocities, or controversial practices — from an analytical, critical, or historical perspective.
- Skills and creative subjects — Practical skills, crafts, arts, technology, languages, music, cooking, and any other skill-based learning.
- Culture, philosophy, and the humanities — History, literature, philosophy, religion, politics, and culture — taught with intellectual honesty and openness to multiple viewpoints.
- Science and health — Evidence-based teaching in any scientific, medical, or health-related field. Courses that explain where expert consensus exists and where genuine debate continues.
- Minority, marginalised, and underrepresented perspectives — Teaching that gives voice to communities or viewpoints that are often overlooked or misrepresented.
The test we apply: Could a reasonable person complete this course and come away better informed, more skilled, or with a richer understanding of the world? If yes, it almost certainly belongs on Achene.
3. Always prohibited
The following are never acceptable on Achene, regardless of context, framing, or stated intent. These are not grey areas.
- Content that sexualises minors — Any content that sexualises, exploits, or endangers children or young people in any way. This is a legal requirement and an absolute line.
- Incitement to violence or terrorism — Content that encourages, glorifies, or provides practical instruction for acts of violence, terrorism, or mass harm — against individuals, groups, or institutions.
- Hate speech — Content that dehumanises people or promotes hostility based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics.
- Facilitating illegal activity — Teaching designed to help people commit crimes — including fraud, hacking for malicious purposes, trafficking, or evading law enforcement.
- Dangerous health misinformation — False or misleading health or medical information that could lead people to harm themselves or others — particularly where it contradicts clear scientific or medical consensus.
- Recruitment into harmful movements — Content whose primary function is to recruit people into extremist groups, cults, or movements that cause harm to members or others.
Courses found to contain any of the above will be removed immediately and the creator’s account will be suspended pending review. Some violations will be reported to relevant authorities.
4. Sensitive areas
Some subjects require more care and context than others. These aren’t prohibited, but courses in these areas receive closer review and may need to meet additional standards before being published.
Politics and ideology
Teaching about political ideas, movements, and history is welcome and valuable. Courses that advocate for a specific political position are permitted provided they are clearly framed as opinion or advocacy, not objective fact. Courses that misrepresent opposing views, or that are designed to manipulate rather than inform, will be declined.
Religion and belief
Courses on religion, spirituality, and belief systems are welcome — whether academic, devotional, or critical. Content that disrespects or mocks the sincere beliefs of others without educational purpose will be reviewed carefully. Content that actively encourages harmful practices is not permitted.
Health, medicine, and wellbeing
We welcome courses on health, nutrition, fitness, mental health, and alternative practices. Creators in these areas are expected to be transparent about their qualifications, to clearly indicate when content is personal perspective rather than clinical advice, and to avoid discouraging people from seeking professional care when it’s needed.
Financial and legal topics
Teaching about financial concepts, investing, legal principles, and related subjects is welcome. Creators must make clear that their courses are educational and not a substitute for professional financial or legal advice. Courses designed primarily to promote specific financial products or schemes will not be approved.
Historically harmful ideologies
Fascism, totalitarianism, and other harmful ideologies can and should be taught — critically and historically. Courses that study these subjects analytically are encouraged. Courses that present these ideologies approvingly, or that use academic framing to disguise promotional content, will be rejected.
Age-appropriate content
Achene is an adults-only platform. All creators and learners must be 18 or over. By creating an account, you confirm that you meet this requirement. Content that would be inappropriate for an adult audience — including anything sexually explicit without clear educational context, graphic violence with no educational value, or material designed to exploit or harm — may be declined even where it does not fall under the absolute prohibitions in Section 3. When in doubt, contact us before building your course.
Not sure if your course fits? It’s better to ask before you build it. Reach out to us at hello@achene.app and we’ll give you an honest answer.
5. The review process
Every course on Achene is reviewed before it’s published. Here’s how it works:
- 1.You submit your course — Once you’ve built your course and are ready to publish, you submit it for review. It won’t go live automatically.
- 2.Automated screening — Our systems do an initial check for obvious policy violations — flagged keywords, known problematic content patterns, and so on. Most courses pass this instantly.
- 3.Human review (if flagged) — If anything in the automated check warrants a closer look, a member of our team reviews the course. We aim to complete human reviews within 3 working days.
- 4.Approval or feedback — You’ll be notified when your course is approved. If we have concerns, we’ll tell you what they are and give you the opportunity to address them before making a final decision.
- 5.Ongoing review — Published courses can still be reported by learners and the community. We review all reports and may take action on published courses if new concerns come to light.
6. Reporting a concern
If you come across a course, creator, or piece of content that you believe violates this policy, please report it. Every report is reviewed by a human — we don’t dismiss them automatically.
You can report content directly from any course page using the Report this course link, or by emailing us at hello@achene.app with a brief description of your concern.
We keep reports confidential and never share the identity of the person who reported with the creator being reported.
7. Consequences
When a course is found to violate this policy, we’ll take the most proportionate action available to us. This might mean:
- Requesting changes — For minor or unintentional issues, we’ll ask you to update the content before it can be published or remain live.
- Removing the course — For more serious violations, the course will be taken down. You’ll be told why.
- Suspending or terminating the account — Serious or repeated violations may result in suspension or permanent removal from the platform.
- Reporting to authorities — Where content involves illegal activity — especially anything involving minors — we will report it to the relevant authorities.
If you believe a decision about your course was made in error, you can appeal by emailing us. We’ll review every appeal.
8. Questions?
This policy will evolve as Achene grows. If something isn’t covered here, or you’re genuinely unsure whether your course is a good fit, the best thing to do is ask. We’d rather have a conversation before you put time into building something than disappoint you afterwards.