STANDARDS & COVENANT
Heartye Governance Standards
Ten clauses. Each one can be cited — the aggrieved party defends themselves with the rule itself, not with the platform's goodwill.
NOTEThis is an unofficial translation. Where a Chinese version exists, the Chinese version governs.
Most of the trust crisis in mental health is not the malice of bad actors, but the absence of a set of rules both sides can read and both sides can invoke. Platform terms are written unilaterally — and interpreted unilaterally when something goes wrong. That is part of the problem.
The Governance Standards were written in response: ten clauses, each with sources, open in full. It binds those who seek support, it binds listeners, and it binds Heartye itself. Every revision is logged publicly. v1.0 was signed by the founder on 2026-10-19 and takes effect on 2026-10-27. We do not pretend it is finished — the revision channel stays open.
Rules are not written to punish anyone. They are written so that the weaker party has something to cite.
—— THE GOVERNANCE STANDARDS · PREAMBLE, V1.0
Equality
No one stands above anyone else. The platform is not an authority; it is a connector. Seekers and listeners stand as equals in dignity — and as equals with Heartye itself.
Mental Health Law of the PRC (dignity of persons with mental disorders is protected by law); UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Respect
Seekers have the right to leave things unsaid. Either side may leave a session at any time. Not pressing further is the first courtesy of listening.
Rogers, Client-Centered Therapy (1951); American Psychological Association, Ethical Principles Principle E: Respect for People's Rights and Dignity
Privacy
Conversations are not kept by default; they are deleted automatically after seven days. No profiling, no advertising, no training.
Personal Information Protection Law of the PRC (PIPL); APA Ethics Code Standard 4: Privacy and Confidentiality
Freedom
Either party may end a session at any moment. Leaving is a right, not a fault. No reasons required, no apologies required.
BACP Ethical Framework: the client's right to end the counselling relationship at any time
Responsibility
If you can no longer carry a case, refer it before you exit. Referral is not failure; it is responsibility. Recognising when a case is beyond your competence is required of every listener.
Chinese Psychological Society, Code of Ethics for Clinical and Counseling Psychology (referral and competence-boundary clauses)
Authenticity
AI must never impersonate a human presence. AI is infrastructure, not a participant. At any moment you may ask "are you human?" and receive an honest answer.
Interim Measures for the Administration of Generative AI Services (no false representation or impersonation); Heartye WeYann Product Whitepaper, AI positioning clause
No labels
Pain does not need to be assessed for value before it can be caught. No diagnosis, no labels: asking for help requires no eligibility review.
WHO report on mental health stigma (stigma drives label avoidance)
No mysticism
Linking psychological support with astrology, tarot, or "energy healing" is permanently prohibited. Psychological support stands on the side of science.
The falsification tradition since Lilienfeld et al., What's Wrong with the Mental Health Professions?; industry rules against claims beyond professional scope
No commercial harassment
During companionship: no selling, no steering to paid services, no conversion. The platform is a space of trust, not an advertising channel. For 72 hours after a session ends, we send the seeker no marketing messages.
APA Ethics Code (prohibition of exploitation and improper multiple relationships); BACP Ethical Framework (exploitation prohibited)
Traceability
The platform verifies every participant's identity as the law requires, yet users never see each other's identities. When something goes wrong, there is a record; on ordinary days, no one knows. Both hold at once.
Cybersecurity Law of the PRC (real-name registration); WeYann Privacy Whitepaper (user-to-user anonymity)
On sources: the references above are public documents and regulations consulted during drafting, cited to the level of document and clause for verification. Citation does not imply endorsement of Heartye by these institutions. Where a standards clause conflicts with a cited source, the reading more protective of the user prevails.
REVISIONS
Revision log
Renamed from "Open Framework" and published in full; sources added clause by clause; public comments ran until October 1.
Internal draft: the ten-clause framework took shape; "Equality" and "Traceability" replaced "Friendliness" and "Transparency".
Signed by the founder and released for a seven-day publicity period; takes effect 2026-10-27. Comments received will be published with an adopted / not adopted list and reasons.
CO-CREATE
These standards are still growing.
Write it with us.
Whether you are a practitioner, a seeker, a researcher, or simply passing by — if you have been hurt in this industry, seen its problems, or know which clause is not sharp enough, we want to hear it.
Give feedback
Any clause — wrong, insufficient, or too soft — point at it directly. v1.0 will answer every comment with an adopted / not adopted list.
covenant@heartye.cnCite a clause
If you have been treated unfairly here or on any platform, cite these standards in your appeal. The most-cited clause is the clause most in need of strengthening.
Every letter is heardCo-sign
Organizations and practitioners may apply to co-sign. Signing is not an endorsement of Heartye — it is a shared commitment to these ten baselines.
hello@heartye.cn