Date.com – User Generated Content (UGC) & Moderation Policy

Effective Date: April 9, 2024  |  Version 1.0

1. Introduction & Purpose

Date.com is a dating and social-connection application that allows users to create profiles, upload photos, exchange messages, and interact with other adult users. Because users contribute content to the app, Date.com qualifies as a User Generated Content (UGC) platform under the Google Play Developer Program Policies.

This policy explains the rules that govern user behavior on Date.com, the safeguards we have implemented to keep the community safe, and the steps we take to comply with Google Play's UGC policy, including the requirements regarding sexual content, child safety, and abusive behavior.

Date.com is intended exclusively for users aged 18 and over. Sexual content, nudity, and sexually explicit material are strictly prohibited on the platform.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all content that users create, upload, post, transmit, share, or display on Date.com, including but not limited to: profile photos, profile descriptions, bios, interests, private messages, public posts, audio clips, video clips, comments, and reports.

3. Prohibited Content

The following content is strictly prohibited on Date.com. Posting any of the following will result in immediate content removal and may result in account suspension or permanent ban:

3.1 Sexual & Adult Content

• Nudity, partial nudity, or sexually suggestive imagery of any kind.
• Pornographic material, sexual acts, or simulations of sexual acts.
• Sexually explicit text, descriptions, or solicitation.
• Content promoting escort services, prostitution, or commercial sexual services.
• Fetish content, sexual role-play content, or any content of a sexual nature.

3.2 Child Safety

• Any content that sexualizes, endangers, or exploits minors in any way (Child Sexual Abuse Material – CSAM).
• Profiles or content claiming to belong to anyone under the age of 18.
• Grooming behavior, solicitation of minors, or attempts to contact minors.

Date.com has zero tolerance for child endangerment content. Any such content is immediately removed, the offending account is permanently banned, and the content is reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and applicable law enforcement authorities.

3.3 Hate Speech, Harassment & Violence

• Hate speech targeting race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality.
• Threats, bullying, intimidation, or harassment of any user.
• Content promoting violence, terrorism, or self-harm.

3.4 Illegal & Dangerous Activities

• Promotion or sale of illegal drugs, weapons, or regulated goods.
• Fraud, scams, phishing, or financial exploitation (including romance scams).
• Sharing of personal or private information of others without consent (doxxing).

3.5 Spam, Impersonation & Misrepresentation

• Fake profiles, bots, or impersonation of other people or celebrities.
• Spam, repeated unsolicited messages, or commercial advertising.
• Use of misleading photos that are not of the actual user.

4. Age Requirement

Date.com is restricted to users aged 18 years or older. During registration, every user must confirm their age, and the app enforces an age-gate. Any user discovered to be under 18, or any profile that misrepresents the user's age, will be removed immediately.

5. Content Moderation System

Date.com employs a layered moderation system designed to detect, review, and remove objectionable content as quickly as possible.

5.1 Automated Moderation

• All photos uploaded to Date.com (profile pictures and in-chat images) are scanned in real time using an AI-based image moderation service that detects nudity, sexual content, violence, and CSAM.
• Text content (bios, messages, posts) is scanned for prohibited keywords, sexual solicitation, hate speech, and personal contact information.
• Content flagged as high-confidence violations is blocked from being posted and the user is notified.

5.2 Human Moderation

• A trained human moderation team reviews flagged content, user reports, and edge cases within 24 hours.
• Moderators have authority to remove content, warn users, suspend accounts, and permanently ban repeat or severe offenders.

5.3 Proactive Sweeps

• Periodic proactive sweeps of public content (profile photos, bios, public posts) are conducted to identify and remove violating content even when no report has been filed.

6. In-App Reporting & Blocking

Every user profile, photo, message, and piece of content on Date.com includes a clearly visible Report button. Users can report content with one tap and select a reason such as nudity, harassment, underage user, scam, hate speech, or other.

• Report button: accessible from every profile, photo, chat, and post.
• Block button: users can instantly block any other user; blocked users cannot view their profile or contact them.
• Reports are routed to the moderation team and acknowledged within 24 hours.
• Users who submit reports are notified once action has been taken.

7. Enforcement Actions

Violations of this policy are enforced consistently and progressively, depending on severity:

• Warning: First-time minor violations result in a warning and content removal.
• Temporary suspension: Repeated or moderate violations result in account suspension of 24 hours to 30 days.
• Permanent ban: Severe violations (CSAM, sexual content, threats, scams, repeat offenses) result in immediate, permanent account termination.
• Legal reporting: Illegal content, especially CSAM, is reported to NCMEC and law enforcement authorities.

8. Child Safety Standards

Date.com is committed to the highest child safety standards. The app is rated for adults only and enforces an 18+ age requirement at registration. We use automated CSAM detection on all uploaded images, maintain a zero-tolerance policy, and immediately report any detected CSAM to NCMEC and law enforcement. We comply with all applicable child safety laws including COPPA and the requirements of Google Play's Child Safety Standards policy for dating and social apps.

9. User Responsibilities

By using Date.com, every user agrees to:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Provide accurate information and use their own photos.
• Treat other users with respect.
• Refrain from posting or sharing any prohibited content listed in Section 3.
• Report content or behavior that violates this policy.

10. Contact & Support

Users, parents, or authorities who wish to report content, request information, or appeal a moderation decision can contact the Date.com Trust & Safety team at:

Email: support@date.com

Reports of child safety concerns are prioritized and handled within 24 hours.

11. Policy Updates

This policy may be updated periodically to reflect changes in law, platform requirements, or our moderation practices. The current version and effective date will always be available within the app and on our website.

12. Platform Compliance

Date.com complies with the User Generated Content policies of both major mobile app stores:

• Google Play: Date.com complies with the Google Play Developer Program Policies, including the User Generated Content policy, the Child Safety Standards policy, and the Inappropriate Content policy.
• Apple App Store: Date.com complies with the Apple App Store Review Guidelines, including Section 1.2 (Safety – User Generated Content) and Section 1.3 (Kids Category / child safety requirements).

In line with both stores' requirements, Date.com provides: (a) a method for filtering objectionable material from being posted, (b) a mechanism for users to flag and report objectionable content, (c) the ability to block abusive users, (d) published contact information so users can reach our Trust & Safety team, and (e) a commitment to act on objectionable content reports and eject abusive users within 24 hours.

Sexual content is strictly prohibited and is not hosted, featured, promoted, or recommended on the platform.