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Trust and Safety Team (GoFundMe) 

Fri, May 23, 12:37 PM                   

Hi Steven,

 Thank you for your reply. This is all very helpful.

 From what you have outlined, your GoFundMe would be within our Terms of Service and allowable. So long as you are supporting your business and helping support those with the types of Civil cases you outlined for me, that shouldn't be an issue.

If our team does need to speak with you about your fundraiser, we will be sure to reach out to you over email and start that conversation. 

I hope this helps, but if you have any other questions or concerns about any of this, please don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks so much,

Scott
GoFundMe Trust & Safety team

Below is the email thread that preceded GOFUNDME's favorable reply.

Steven Chayer <support@disputevoice.com>

Tue, May 20, 10:55 AM

to info

Dear GoFundMe Team,

I’m reaching out on behalf of DisputeVoice, a platform built to serve victims of fraud and misconduct who seek to safely and effectively publish their side of the story. Our mission is to empower individuals—particularly those failed by traditional recourse systems—to document, expose, and distribute their dispute narratives online in a legally responsible and constructive way.

About DisputeVoice

We provide an AI-assisted publishing service where users can submit detailed accounts of their disputes, name individuals or businesses, share evidence, and optimize for SEO. This allows them to not only warn future victims but also apply public pressure for a fair resolution.

Our clients are typically U.S.-based individuals who have been defrauded or harmed in contexts such as:
  • Landlord/tenant disputes
  • Contractor or service fraud
  • Medical/dental overbilling or negligence
  • Amazon DFY and e-commerce investment scams
  • Financial advisor misconduct, auto/mechanic fraud, and more

Each user undergoes a vetting process and pays a nominal intake fee, after which they can choose a publication tier (DV-1000 to DV-3000+) that includes AI-powered content scrubbing (to mitigate legal and defamation risks), editorial support, and optional press distribution. Our AI tool redacts inflammatory or speculative language and flags legal hazards, helping users present credible, fact-based stories that comply with platform standards and U.S. law.

Anticipated Risks and Reason for Inquiry

Given the nature of our platform—enabling people to speak openly against powerful adversaries—we anticipate some level of coordinated backlash. This could include:

  • Legal intimidation through meritless lawsuits (SLAPPs)
  • Harassment campaigns aimed at silencing contributor
  • Attempted deplatforming or reputational attacks on DisputeVoice itself

We are preparing for these scenarios by exploring the possibility of a legal and operational defense fund, for both our platform and the individuals who publish through it. Rather than wait until we're under duress, we respectfully seek GoFundMe’s feedback in advance.

Would a campaign of this nature—aimed at defending freedom of expression and protecting whistleblowers from retaliatory legal action—be permitted on GoFundMe under your current guidelines?

We are committed to full transparency, proper use of funds, and adherence to your platform’s terms of service. Since our launch, the platform has already begun showing results: for example, the first case posted by our founder on April 17, 2025, has already elicited response from the other party. We believe this demonstrates the platform’s value and the likelihood of future retaliatory behavior.

We appreciate your time and consideration. If you require further details or supporting documentation, we’d be happy to provide it.

Warm regards,
Steven A. Chayer
Founder,
DisputeVoice
support@disputevoice.com
206-433-1750
https://disputevoice.com



Mirella (GoFundMe) <support@gofundme.com>

May 21, 2025, 11:43 AM

to me

                        

Hi there!
 
I'm Mirella from the GoFundMe Care Specialist's team and I'm here to help you.
 
Thanks so much for reaching out to our team today.
 
I’m going to forward your message to our Trust & Safety team who can provide you with more information about our Terms of Service. In the meantime, you can view GoFundMe’s Terms of Service by clicking on this link.
 
Have a great day!
Mirella
Customer Care
GoFundMe

Learn about 4 Key Actions for Your GoFundMe.

[MRGM2M-D11RK]

Trust and Safety Team (GoFundMe) <support@gofundme.com>

May 22, 2025, 10:16 AM

to me

                        

Hello Steven,
 
Thank you for your patience. My name is Scott, and I am a Trust & Safety manager here at GoFundMe.
 
I took a look over your request and want to make sure I am understanding it correctly. Are you ultimately looking to use GoFundMe to raise funds to help support your organization, DisputeVoice? Or would you be using GoFundMe to raise funds for a "legal fund" that DisputeVoice would have access to should the company ever require legal expenses?
 
If you are looking to raise funds for the possible legal situations in the future, can you let us know in more detail what sort of legal expenses this might go towards? Would it just be civil legal situations? Or would it encompass criminal legal situations as well? 
 
Let me know about this and I can continue working with you on this.
 
I will be on the lookout for your reply,

Scott
GoFundMe Trust & Safety team
Tips For Safely Fundraising Online

Steven Chayer <support@disputevoice.com>

May 23, 2025, 6:55 AM

to GoFundMe

Subject: Re: Clarification on DisputeVoice Legal Defense & Organizational Fund

Hi Scott,

Thank you again for your prompt follow-up. I’d like to provide further context and request clarification on certain points to ensure full alignment with GoFundMe’s guidelines.

  1. Mission-Driven Purpose of DisputeVoice
     DisputeVoice is built to counter today's surge in online fraud and misconduct. Traditional approaches, such as filing government forms and lodging complaints, often fail to deter scammers. Our mission fills a critical gap: by enabling individuals to publish evidence-backed narratives (vetted by AI and editorial review), we foster public awareness, consumer protection, and community education. We are not a reactive complaint site. Our differentiation is this: We operate with rigor, transparency, and legal responsibility.
  2. Legal Defense Fund: Civil-Only & Purpose-Specific
     The primary purpose of our GoFundMe campaign would be a Legal Defense Fund, dedicated exclusively to civil legal costs arising from our platform activities. We do not seek to fundraise for criminal defense. Potential use cases include:
  • Defamation or business tort litigation: Supporting legal defense when a party files a lawsuit over content that has been fact-checked and AI-scrubbed.
  • Cease-and-desist or demand-letter responses: Covering legal consultation, response drafting, and possible negotiated resolutions.
  • SLAPP or anti-SLAPP proceedings: Defense funding to file anti-SLAPP motions, attend hearings, and pursue fee recovery where applicable.

Each of these involves legal fees, court filings, and compliance-related costs. We would use all funds designated for legal defense exclusively for these civil matters.

  1. Organizational Scaling & Permissible Uses
    We may also seek to raise funds to responsibly scale the platform. That may include expanding editorial capacity, improving our AI scrubbing and risk analysis tools, and supporting educational or community-building resources. Would GoFundMe permit a campaign to serve both these goals, defense and development, as long as each purpose is transparently described? We are willing to present a breakdown of how funds will be allocated.

  2. Relevant Policy References
     We’ve reviewed GoFundMe’s Terms and community guidelines. We understand that:
  • Organizers must clearly state how funds will be used and follow through accordingly.
  • Civil legal defense funds are allowed, and several campaigns have successfully done this.
  • Criminal defense campaigns are restricted, which we fully respect and do not plan to pursue.
  1. Questions Moving Forward
     To ensure transparency and compliance, would you recommend
  • Structuring the campaign with clearly marked fund segments (e.g., “Legal Defense” vs. “Platform Development”)?
  • Uploading a campaign budget or fund allocation chart?
  • Additional language to strengthen alignment with GoFundMe’s terms?

We believe DisputeVoice provides a needed and responsible service, empowering individuals to speak truthfully and safely. Your continued guidance will help us ensure that our campaign is both helpful to the public and compliant with GoFundMe’s principles.

Best regards,
Steven Chayer
Founder, DisputeVoice
support@disputevoice.com
206-433-1750
https://disputevoice.com