Unlike other forums, nebenan.de is not an actively moderated platform. This means the moderation team only reviews content that is reported by the neighborhood. 

We therefore rely on you as a user: to help moderate neighborhood interactions as best as possible.

By reporting posts to us, we can ensure that non-neighborhood-related and content violating the posting guidelines is removed from the platform. How to report a post is explained here. 

💡When you report a post to our help team, we review it and, if necessary, inform the author of the post. You as the reporter remain anonymous in any case.

I have reported a post. What happens next? 

By clicking “Report content,” your report reaches our help team.

Moderation Process

• Step 1: Review of the Report
• Step 2: Post Moderation
• Step 3: Notification by Email
• Example 1: Advertising
• Example 2: Violation of the 3 Golden Rules
• Example 3: Selling or Giving Away Animals 
• Example 4: No Violation

Step 1: Review of the Report

Unlike other social networks, at nebenan.de every report is answered by a real person. Since we receive different numbers of reports from users at different times, response times may vary. Reports about posts reported by multiple neighbors are processed first, all others chronologically. 

Each of the approximately 1,200 weekly reports is carefully reviewed by our colleagues based on our guidelines:

In the first step, it is checked whether the reported post violates the Terms of Use of nebenan.de. Then it is examined whether the content of the post contradicts the posting and commenting guidelines, the 3 golden rules, or one of the other guidelines of nebenan.de:

• Guideline for posts with financial compensation
• Guideline for posts about climate protection
• Guideline for political posts
• Guideline for private fundraising appeals
• Guideline for the marketplace
  
  

Step 2: Post Moderation

If the reported content indeed violates our guidelines or terms of use, the help team has several options, including:

• issuing a warning
• closing the discussion on a post, i.e., no further comments are possible, but the posts remain visible in the respective neighborhood on nebenan.de
• deleting the post in case of clear rule violations
• blocking the neighbor's access to nebenan.de in case of serious or repeated violations of the guidelines or terms of use

The help team decides based on the guidelines and their experience in moderating posts. The most important criterion is to preserve the well-being and positive conversational culture in the neighborhood.

Step 3: Notification by Email

After processing the report, our moderation team informs you by email about the decision made.

Examples

To give you a better idea of what happens with a reported post, we have formulated three example posts. All examples are fictional.

Example 1: Advertising

Neighbor Daniela writes via her private nebenan.de profile:

Hello dear neighbors! Is anyone looking for a garage? We are a law firm and occasionally have free parking spaces. Cost per month 42 €. If interested/questions, just send me a private message.

Daniela's post is reported by Julius because he wonders if this is allowed.

How does our help team handle the report?

1. The regular rental of garage parking spaces is not allowed according to the Guideline for posts with financial compensation. 
2. Daniela's post is therefore deleted.
3. Daniela is contacted by the help team, warned, reminded of the guideline, and informed about the deletion. She is also informed about how to create a business profile.
4. Julius is informed that we deleted the post and the reason for it.

Example 2: Violation of the 3 Golden Rules 

Neighbor Mira writes via her nebenan.de profile:

Dear neighbors, I miss my cat! She is white with black spots and very friendly. She was last seen on Seestraße. Has anyone seen her?

Till then comments publicly:

Serves you right! You shouldn't have let your cat outside.

Till's comment is reported by Ulf because he finds the comment inappropriate.

How does our help team handle this post?

1. Till's comment violates the 3 golden rules. 
2. The comment is therefore deleted, and instead of the content, a note is shown that there was a violation of the 3 golden rules.
3. Till is contacted by the help team, warned, reminded of the 3 golden rules, and informed about the deletion.
4. Ulf is contacted by the help team and informed about the deletion.

Example 3: Selling or Giving Away Animals 
Neighbor Franziska creates a post in the marketplace: 

Our cat mom has had her babies 😺 
All are healthy and already vaccinated. There is still a little prince and a little princess available. We give them away for a protection fee of 80€ per cat including food supply and toys. 

The post is reported by Johanna with the question whether animal placement is allowed on nebenan.

How does our help team handle this post?

1. Franziska's post violates the Guideline for the marketplace and is deleted by our help team.  
2.  Franziska and Johanna are informed that selling or giving away animals on nebenan is not allowed.

Example 4: No Violation

Neighbor Johannes writes via his nebenan.de profile:

Dear neighbors, I am looking for a good dental practice in the neighborhood. Does anyone have a good recommendation for me?

Hannah then comments publicly:

I recommend Müller practice, very patient with anxious patients!

Now neighbor Veronika comments publicly:

Unfortunately, I cannot agree with Hannah there, I had very bad experiences there! Endless waiting times and unfriendly staff!

Veronika's comment is reported by Hannah with the reason "discrediting the practice".

How does our help team handle the report?

1. The post is not discrediting but an own experience. It does not constitute a violation of our guidelines.
2. The help team contacts Hannah, informs her that there is no violation, and suggests that she could simply respond publicly to Veronika and add her own view. The help team also sends Hannah the article "For good online conversation culture: De-escalation and counter speech"

More information and figures about our moderation work can be found in our DSA Transparency Report 2025 and in our DSA Transparency Report 2024.

Help with handling conflicts

Read the article "Resolving conflicts with neighbors" to learn how you can deal sensibly with conflicts on nebenan.de beyond just reporting.