Mutual rules and commitments

RoAdevăr commits to providing an independent information platform where content is shaped by editorial and ethical filters, and public spaces (comments, contributions) are moderated against abuse. We do not claim every published opinion is the institutional voice of the newsroom: signed opinions remain the author’s. We do commit to a transparent framework where “tell the truth, check the facts, respect the person” runs from policy pages to moderation practice.

As platform operator we commit to keep core features available (browsing, account, publishing, contact), to inform registered users of major policy changes, and not to sell personal data. Technical processing details live in the Privacy Policy and GDPR pages; those documents are not optional “small print” for us — they are our main legal commitment to users.

RoAdevăr aligns with Romanian and EU law relevant to digital media and data protection, in particular Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), Romanian Law no. 190/2018 implementing GDPR, and the constitutional framework of freedom of expression. Where we process data on consent, contract/service (your account), legitimate interest (security, anti-abuse, editorial integrity) or legal obligation, we state that in the privacy documents.

Editorial independence does not mean lawlessness: hate speech, defamation, copyright infringement or other illegal acts may be moderated, removed or reported to authorities. Our aim is a useful public space, not a rule-free zone.

You have rights of access, rectification, erasure (with legal exceptions), restriction, portability, objection, withdrawal of consent, and complaint to ANSPDCP or in court — detailed on the GDPR and Privacy pages. For accounts, many basic corrections can be made in your profile; for complex access or erasure requests, contact us using the details on the site.

If you uploaded identity documents (ID + selfie) for verification, they are stored privately, not on the public website, and are not used for marketing. The right to erasure also applies to those files, subject to legal reserves (e.g. ongoing investigations, temporary retention duties). Deadlines and procedure are on the GDPR page.

As independent media we commit not to turn the platform into a party tool, electoral machinery or disguised PR channel. Funding and support lines are described under Transparency; the newsroom decides publication on editorial grounds, not sponsor pressure. Readers can consult the Manifesto and Editorial Code for professional principles.

This does not mean every article is “tone-neutral”. Analysis may be critical. Our commitment means: we verify, we label content genres correctly (news / analysis / opinion), we correct errors when they appear, and we reject deliberate misleading material.

Legal documents may be revised when the law changes, new platform features appear, or practices must be clarified (e.g. identity verification, donations, moderation). The version published on the site at the time of use applies. For substantial changes affecting major rights or duties, we notify registered users by email or in-platform notice where reasonably possible.

Continued use after a new version is published under the announced conditions may constitute acceptance where the law allows; some actions will still require fresh explicit consent (for example marketing options).

You may withdraw consent for processing based on consent (e.g. newsletter, some promotional messages, certain verification uploads) at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. Withdrawal is done in account settings, via unsubscribe links or by written request to contact@roadevar.ro.

Withdrawing consent does not automatically cancel the Terms for ordinary account use if the legal base is performing the platform relationship or legitimate interest. In practice: you can unsubscribe from the newsletter without losing your account; you can request deletion of ID files if no base remains; you can request account closure under the retention policy.

You are legally and morally responsible for content you upload, send via forms or publish (articles, opinions, comments, audio-video, documents). RoAdevăr may edit, refuse or withdraw materials that break the law, the Editorial Code or the Terms, but does not automatically become the author of your opinion.

You must not publish information you know to be false, present rumours as verified fact, use copyrighted material without permission, or expose other people’s data without a lawful basis. Breaches can lead to account and content measures and, in serious cases, reporting to authorities — decided proportionately and on record.

You accept respectful conduct: no systematic abusive language, no personal attacks out of proportion to critique of ideas, no harassment, no deliberate dissemination of disinformation, and no hate speech or unlawful discrimination. Political criticism, investigation and firm opinions are allowed; gratuitous humiliation, slander or incitement are not.

Authors and collaborators are also bound by the Editorial Code: reasonable fact-checking, clear separation of news and opinion, disclosure of relevant conflicts of interest, and correction of errors. Repeated violations may suspend publishing rights even where a text is not strictly illegal.

When you publish or collaborate you confirm you will not use the platform as a disguised party propaganda channel, a coordinated disinformation campaign or hidden paid promotion. You may hold political views and express them honestly in signed opinions; you may not present campaign material as “neutral news” or “independent analysis” without disclosing its nature.

RoAdevăr may clearly label content types and refuse or remove materials that deliberately confuse the public about their nature. Advertising or sponsorship, if any, must be marked under the law and editorial standards.

Authors declare that information presented as fact is, to their knowledge and after reasonable checks they can make, accurate; that sensitive sources are protected ethically; and that quotations are not distorted. Opinion pieces enjoy opinion rights, not a right to present false facts as proven truth.

If errors appear, the author cooperates in a prompt correction. The platform may request sources, clarifications or evidence before publication. Refusal to correct an obvious error or repeated misconduct may lead to rejection of future pieces.

You declare that you are at least 16 (or the minimum legal age for digital consent / account creation on the platform) and that you have capacity to enter the platform use relationship. If you act for an organisation, you confirm you are authorised to represent it.

Accounts created by minors under the legal threshold may be refused or closed. Identity verification requests (ID + selfie), where used, aim to prevent fake accounts, not to publish documents on the open web.

Transactional messages needed for the account (confirmations, security, password reset, replies to your requests) may be sent on the basis of the platform relationship and are not marketing. Newsletters, promotional editorial alerts or similar subscription communications rely on consent and can be stopped at any time.

By creating an account or submitting a form you accept replies on the channel you indicated (email, and phone only if you provided it), strictly related to your request. We do not sell contact lists to third parties.

Donations and financial support are voluntary. They do not buy editorial influence and do not guarantee publication of a specific piece. Terms shown on the donation page, any receipts/acknowledgements and applicable tax treatment are respected by both sides under the law.

By confirming a donation you accept that data needed to process the payment may be handled by authorised processors (banks, payment platforms) and that RoAdevăr may keep accounting records for legal periods. Budget transparency, where published, appears under Transparency / Funding.

Volunteers declare they take part freely, under a clear role agreement, without automatically creating an employment relationship unless another contract is later signed. Tasks (research, event logistics, editorial support) are agreed mutually, and the volunteer respects internal confidentiality and the Editorial Code.

Either side may end the collaboration with reasonable notice, or immediately for serious rule breaches. Materials created in the volunteer context may remain on the platform or be reused for informational purposes, with due credit, as agreed at the time of collaboration.

You commit to responsible journalism: no hate speech, no discrimination, no intentional reader manipulation, no plagiarism, no knowing “fake news” and no disguised advertising. You accept editorial feedback and fact-checking.

Breaches may lead to rejection, withdrawal of publication and, in serious cases, ending collaboration. The aim is not convenience censorship, but protecting the credibility of RoAdevăr’s public space.

When you take part in RoAdevăr productions (interviews, filming, event photography, podcasts) or upload media you are entitled to publish, you may grant the platform rights to use your image, voice or those materials solely for informational, educational and RoAdevăr editorial-project purposes — not to re-sell personal data or run commercial advertising out of context.

You may limit or withdraw future uses by written notice where the law allows; materials already lawfully published may remain archived. If you refuse filming/photography at an event, tell the organiser in advance. For third-party media, you warrant you have the right to publish.

Consent exists when your act is free, specific, informed and unambiguous: an explicit tick at registration, acceptance of non-essential cookies, sending a form after reading the notice, uploading an ID document after the on-screen explanation. Mere browsing does not equal acceptance of every marketing processing or every image-publication right.

RoAdevăr commits to clear wording at the point of collection. You commit not to tick boxes mechanically without reading them, especially when publishing content or sending sensitive data.

The data-protection page and Privacy Policy describe which data, on which bases, for how long and with which rights. Here we summarise that processing must be lawful, proportionate and secured; conversely, users provide accurate data and do not use another person’s account.

For operational detail (retention, soft-delete, ID documents, ANSPDCP rights), the dedicated pages prevail on personal-data points. This page contextualises commitments without watering down GDPR guarantees.

Online forms and acceptances on RoAdevăr produce effects in the digital environment under Romanian law on electronic signatures and electronic documents (including Law no. 455/2001 where applicable), together with technical evidence of the act (authenticated account, timestamp, IP where lawfully processed). That does not mean every tick is a “qualified electronic signature” under eIDAS; it means your act is enforceable within the platform relationship.

The platform commits not to alter the substance of what you submitted. You commit that form data is real and complete as needed for the purpose (e.g. name, contact email).

From the platform: graduated measures — warning, content moderation or deletion, temporary restriction, suspension or account closure, blocking abusive IPs, reporting to authorities when the law requires it or third-party rights must be defended. Important account decisions may be challenged via contact and we review them in good faith.

From you: you may report abuses, errors or breaches of our commitments (e.g. personal data wrongly published, failure to answer a GDPR request). We will investigate and correct if confirmed. Neither side may use “freedom of expression” as a shield for illegal acts or harassment.

Documents published on roadevar.ro — including this page, the Terms, Privacy and GDPR pages — are binding from the date of publication. Primary applicable law is Romanian law; disputes are settled by competent courts in Romania unless special law provides otherwise.

If a clause becomes unenforceable, the rest remains in force. If a short explanation on this page conflicts with a specialised document (e.g. Privacy Policy on a specific data type), the specialised document prevails on that point, and this page is updated to realign the wording.