Child Safety & Anti-CSAE Policy
ZERO TOLERANCE: Tipi has absolutely no tolerance for Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) content and behavior. Violations result in immediate account termination and law enforcement referral.
Our Commitment
Tipi is committed to:
- Protecting children and teens who use our platform
- Preventing the creation, distribution, or possession of CSAE material
- Cooperating fully with law enforcement and child protection organizations
- Providing clear reporting mechanisms for users and the public
This policy applies to all users, content, and interactions on Tipi, including public and private chat rooms, direct messages, profile content, and all user-generated content.
Prohibited Content and Behavior
The following are STRICTLY PROHIBITED and will result in immediate account termination, content removal, evidence preservation, and law enforcement referral:
1. Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
- Any visual depiction of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct
- Computer-generated or AI-generated content depicting minors in sexual situations
- Drawings, cartoons, or other non-photographic depictions of child sexual abuse
2. Grooming and Predatory Behavior
- Attempting to establish a relationship with a minor for sexual purposes
- Soliciting sexual content from minors
- Attempting to arrange in-person meetings with exploitative intent
3. Exploitation and Trafficking
- Recruiting, advertising, or facilitating child trafficking
- Sharing information that could lead to child exploitation
- Soliciting or offering child sexual abuse material
4. Sexualization of Minors
- Sexually suggestive comments about or to minors
- Requesting or sharing nude or partially nude images of minors
- Facilitating inappropriate adult-minor contact
Protections for Minors (Ages 13-17)
Tipi is designed for people 13 and older. Our safeguards for teens include:
- Age verification: Date of birth checks and repeated prompts if someone attempts to rejoin after removal
- Guardian awareness: In-app reminders that minors should only use Tipi with parental permission
- Private data minimization: We only store the minimum information needed to operate the service and never store location history
- Fast escalations: Dedicated moderators review any report that references minors within 60 seconds
- Account controls: Confirmed predators are permanently banned and related device identifiers are blocked from creating new accounts
Users under 13 are not permitted to create an account. If we learn that someone under 13 is using Tipi we immediately delete the account and purge associated data.
How to Report CSAE Content
If You See Something, Say Something
In-App Reporting (Fastest - 60 second response time)
- Long-press on any message, room, or profile
- Select "Report"
- Choose "Child Safety / CSAE"
- Add any additional context
- Submit
Reports in the CSAE category are reviewed within 60 seconds. You will receive confirmation that we received your report and are investigating.
Email Reporting
- Email: support@tipi.zone
- Subject: "CSAE Report"
- Include: Screenshots, user IDs, room names, timestamps
- Response time: Within 24 hours
Anonymous Reporting
You can report anonymously via email at support@tipi.zone with subject line "Anonymous CSAE Report".
We do not require personal information to submit reports.
External Reporting Organizations
If you witness CSAE content, you can also report directly to:
- United States: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- International: Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
- Local Law Enforcement: Call emergency services in your country
Our Response Process
1. Immediate Action (within 60 seconds)
- Remove content from public view
- Restrict the reported account from further activity
- Preserve evidence for investigation
- Notify on-call trust & safety team
2. Investigation (within 24 hours)
- Human moderator review of the report and context
- Assessment of severity and intent
- Determination of appropriate action level
3. Permanent Action
- P0 Priority: All CSAE reports are marked highest priority
- Law Enforcement: Mandatory reporting to appropriate authorities
- NCMEC CyberTipline: For US-based incidents (required by law)
- Account Termination: No appeals for CSAE violations
- Device & IP Bans: Prevent re-registration
Evidence Preservation & Data Handling
What We Preserve
- Content, metadata, user identifiers, timestamps
- Encrypted at rest with access restricted to authorized trust & safety personnel only
- Audit logging of all access to CSAE evidence
- Minimal necessary information (PII sanitized)
Retention Policy
- Active investigations: Evidence retained for duration of investigation
- Law enforcement requests: Evidence retained as required by legal process
- Default retention: 90 days for closed CSAE reports (unless legally required otherwise)
- Automatic deletion: After retention period, evidence is permanently deleted via secure wipe
Access Controls
- Least Privilege: Only authorized "trust_safety" and "admin" roles can access reports
- Multi-factor authentication: Required for all personnel with access
- Background checks: All personnel with access undergo screening
- Regular audits: Access logs reviewed monthly
Age Verification & Minor Protection
Age Requirements
- Minimum age: 13 years old (strictly enforced)
- Users ages 13-17 are classified as minors with additional protections
- Age verification at registration via self-declared date of birth
Minor Safety Features
- Parental awareness encouraged for all users under 18
- Limited visibility: Minor profiles are not shown to significantly older users
- Enhanced content filtering applied to all minor accounts
- In-app safety tips and educational resources for young users
Under-13 Detection
If we learn a user is under 13:
- Account immediately suspended
- All content removed
- Data deleted within 30 days (except as required by law)
- User notified and directed to age-appropriate services
User Rights
No Appeals for CSAE Violations
Accounts terminated for CSAE violations are permanently banned with no opportunity for appeal. This is non-negotiable.
Reporter Protection
- Anonymity: Reporter identity is never shared with the reported user
- No retaliation: We prohibit and will act against any retaliation attempts
- Good faith reports: We will not penalize users for good-faith reports, even if mistaken
Emergency Resources
If You Are a Minor in Danger:
- Emergency: Call local emergency services (911 in US, 112 in EU)
- NCMEC: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) - 24/7 hotline
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (US) for immediate support
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
Parent Resources:
If You Are Concerned About Your Own Behavior:
- Stop It Now: Help for people concerned about sexual thoughts toward children
Transparency & Accountability
Public Reporting
We publish semi-annual transparency reports including:
- Number of CSAE reports received
- Number of accounts terminated for CSAE violations
- Number of law enforcement referrals
- Average response time to CSAE reports
These reports do not include identifying information or details that could harm ongoing investigations.
Industry Collaboration
We participate in:
- NCMEC's Voluntary Child Safety Cooperative: Sharing threat intelligence
- Technology Coalition: Industry best practices for child safety
- Hash-sharing consortiums: To prevent re-upload of known CSAM
Contact Us
For questions about this policy or to report concerns:
Thank you for helping us keep Tipi safe for everyone, especially children and teens.
If you see something, say something. Together, we can create a safer online community.
Legal Framework
This policy is informed by and complies with:
- United States: 18 U.S.C. 2258A (CSAM reporting requirements)
- European Union: EU Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (proposed)
- United Kingdom: Online Safety Act 2023
- International: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child