governance

our commitment

Ruck exists to serve the LGBT+ community, not investors, not advertisers, not shareholders. To make that permanent, we're building governance protections directly into our legal structure.

This page explains how that works, where we are in the process, and what it means for you.

how we protect ruck's mission

Ruck Social Ltd is a for-profit company. We need to make money to survive and grow. But we've designed a structure that ensures our core principles can never be sold out, overruled, or eroded, no matter what happens in the future.

The end goal is the Ruck Stewardship Trust, an independent, non-profit body that will hold permanent protective power over Ruck through a Golden Share.

What is the Golden Share?

The Golden Share is a special share class with no financial value but with veto rights over decisions that could harm users or betray our principles. These principles are defined in the Charter of the Ruck Stewardship Trust, the legal document that governs our governance structure.

The Golden Share can block:

  • Sale or merger of Ruck to any buyer that won't commit to upholding these principles

  • Selling or monetizing user data to anyone, for any reason

  • Removing essential free features like messaging and profile browsing

  • Degrading the free experience through manipulative monetization

  • Introducing targeted ads based on sensitive personal data

  • Changes to the Charter without genuine user consultation

The Golden Share doesn't interfere with normal business decisions like pricing, hiring, product features, or partnerships. It only activates when someone tries to cross a line that shouldn't be crossed.

This structure allows Ruck to grow, take investment if needed, and operate as a sustainable business, while protecting what matters in perpetuity. Our governance is also designed to be respectful internationally, with privacy, moderation, and policy decisions accounting for regional legal and cultural contexts.

where we are now

Stage 1: Protected principles defined (complete)

  • The principles below are published and form the foundation of our governance commitments.

Stage 2: Golden Share created (in progress)

  • We're amending our Articles of Association to create the Golden Share class with formal veto rights over reserved matters. During this interim period, the share will be held by our founder.

Stage 3: Ruck Stewardship Trust established (planned)

  • This is the destination. We will establish the Trust as an independent, non-profit body governed by stewards chosen for their commitment to LGBT+ rights, ethical technology, and user protection. The Golden Share will be transferred to the Trust, removing it permanently from commercial control.

We'll publish updates as we hit each milestone.

protected principles

These principles are written into the Charter of the Ruck Stewardship Trust. The Trust enforces them through its Golden Share veto. If Ruck tries to violate any of these, the Trust can block it.

1. Purpose

Ruck exists to provide a safe, ethical, and inclusive space for LGBT+ people to connect, without exploitation, manipulation, or enshittification.

2. User Data

We collect only what we need to run the app. We do not sell user data. We do not monetize user data. We do not share user data with advertisers or data brokers.

3. Free essential features

You will always be able to create a profile, browse others, and message people for free. These core features will never move behind a paywall.

4. Fair monetization

Premium features should be affordable and honestly priced. We will not use dynamic pricing that charges users more based on their location, device, or behavior. We will not lock basic functionality behind extortionate subscriptions. If we offer a premium tier, it should feel like good value, not a shakedown.

5. Advertising principles

If we run ads, they will be clearly marked, non-invasive, and never targeted based on sexual orientation, gender identity, HIV status, or other sensitive characteristics.

6. Anonymity

You can use Ruck without linking other social media accounts. You control what you share and with whom.

7. Transparency

We publish annual reports on how Ruck is doing, covering finances, data practices, and governance decisions. If we mess up, you'll hear about it from us, not from a journalist.

8. Ethical exits

If Ruck ever shuts down, we will delete user data securely or transfer it (with consent) to a successor that commits to these same principles. Any sale of the company must preserve the Ruck Stewardship Trust's Golden Share and its veto rights, or transfer those rights to an equivalent independent stewardship body.

the ruck stewardship trust

The Trust is our ultimate safeguard. Once established, it will:

  • Hold the Golden Share permanently, on behalf of the LGBT+ community

  • Be governed by independent stewards with no financial stake in Ruck

  • Have the power to veto reserved matters, and nothing else

  • Publish its own annual report on how it's exercising (or not exercising) its powers

  • Rotate stewards periodically to prevent entrenchment

The Trust exists to ask one question: "Does this decision honor Ruck's commitment to its users?" If yes, it stays out of the way. If no, it intervenes.

why we're telling you this

You're trusting us with something personal: your data, your photos, your conversations. You deserve to know who's in charge, what they can and can't do, and what happens if things change.

This page is our promise, written in public, that Ruck will stay Ruck.

To read the detailed legal framework we're working toward, see the Charter of the Ruck Stewardship Trust