TRUST SCORES

Citizen Trust Scores¶

The anti-brigading mechanism that prevents Mobius oversight from becoming a weapon.

Purpose¶

Trust Scores exist to ensure that: - Oversight tools remain useful - Bad-faith actors cannot weaponize the system - Legitimate concerns receive appropriate attention - The system rewards accuracy over volume

What Trust Scores ARE¶

• A behavioral reputation tied to actions inside Mobius
• Transparent — you can see your own score
• Appealable — disputes can be reviewed
• Decay-based — old actions matter less over time

What Trust Scores ARE NOT¶

• ❌ Not social credit
• ❌ Not ideological ranking
• ❌ Not permanent blacklisting
• ❌ Not public shaming
• ❌ Not tied to identity outside Mobius

Trust is about reliability of contributions, not agreement with conclusions.

Trust Levels¶

T0 — Observer¶

Access: Read-only

Capabilities: - View all public dashboards - Read activity logs - Subscribe to updates - Share public links

Requirements: None (default level)

T1 — Auditor¶

Access: Read + Flag

Capabilities: - Submit concern flags - Attach evidence to flags - Receive flag outcome notifications

Requirements: - Account age ≥ 7 days - No previous trust violations - Accepted civic guidelines

T2 — Verified Auditor¶

Access: Read + Flag + Pattern Analysis

Capabilities: - Submit pattern-level concerns - Request steward review - Annotate historical records - Higher flag priority

Requirements: - T1 status for ≥ 30 days - ≥ 5 validated flag submissions - No false positive pattern

T3 — Steward¶

Access: Full oversight participation

Capabilities: - Vote on threshold changes - Review escalated concerns - Publish official explanations - Moderate flag submissions - Access governance tools

Requirements: - T2 status for ≥ 90 days - Demonstrated pattern recognition accuracy - Steward nomination and approval - Signed steward attestation

Trust Score Calculation¶

Base Score¶

All accounts start at 100 points.

Score Range¶

How Trust Is GAINED¶

Key Rule¶

Trust grows slowly. Rushing trust is a red flag.

How Trust Is LOST¶

Key Rule¶

Trust decays faster than it grows. One bad-faith action undoes months of good work.

Decay Mechanics¶

Positive Action Decay¶

• Good actions decay by 10% per quarter
• Ensures recent behavior matters most
• Prevents "banking" old reputation

Negative Action Decay¶

• Bad actions decay by 5% per quarter
• Slower decay than positive actions
• Serious violations have longer impact

No Activity Decay¶

• 6 months of inactivity: -10 points
• 12 months of inactivity: return to T0

Appeal Process¶

Who Can Appeal¶

Any user with score reduction ≥ 10 points.

Appeal Requirements¶

1. Written explanation of dispute
2. Evidence supporting appeal
3. Acknowledgment of review finality

Appeal Timeline¶

• Initial review: 7 days
• Steward review (if escalated): 14 days
• Final decision: binding

Appeal Outcomes¶

Transparency Requirements¶

Visible to User¶

• Current trust score
• Trust level
• Recent score changes
• Decay timeline

Visible to Public¶

• Aggregate trust level distribution
• System-wide flag accuracy rate
• Appeal outcome statistics

Never Visible¶

• Individual user scores (except own)
• Individual flag history (except own)
• Personal identifying information

Anti-Gaming Measures¶

Detection Patterns¶

• Rapid flag submission
• Coordinated flag timing
• Copy-paste flag content
• New account flag bursts
• Cross-referencing external coordination

Automatic Responses¶

Trust Score Display¶

User Dashboard¶

┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Your Trust Score                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Score: 78 / 100                         │
│ Level: T2 (Verified Auditor)            │
│                                         │
│ Recent Activity:                        │
│ • Validated flag: +10 (Jan 28)          │
│ • Participation: +15 (Jan 25)           │
│ • Decay: -3 (quarterly)                 │
│                                         │
│ Next milestone: T3 at 100 points        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘

Microcopy¶

Tooltip:

"Trust reflects how reliably your past actions contributed to understanding — not agreement."

Level description:

"Verified Auditors have demonstrated accurate pattern recognition over time."

Integration with MIC¶

Trust scores interact with MIC incentives:

Low trust = reduced or no rewards. High trust = enhanced rewards.

Edge Cases¶

New Users¶

• Start at T0 with 100 points
• 7-day waiting period before T1
• Cannot skip levels

Returning Users¶

• Inactivity decay applies
• Can regain levels through activity
• Historical record preserved

Disputed Actions¶

• Score changes paused during appeal
• Resolution applies retroactively
• No double jeopardy

Governance¶

Trust score policies are set by: - Steward council vote - RFC for major changes - EPICON for threshold adjustments

Changes require: - 72-hour notice - Majority steward approval - Public rationale

"Trust is about reliability, not ideology. Accuracy matters more than agreement."

We heal as we walk. — Mobius Substrate