Safety Policy

About this policy

This is ValidMeet's safety policy. It explains prohibited conduct, when we notify members, how we enforce the rules, and consent. It applies to every member.

Our Community Guidelines explain the same rules in more detail and in plainer language. Where the two differ, read them together; this document is the formal statement.

1. Content and conduct we prohibit

The following are not permitted on ValidMeet, and members who engage in them face enforcement up to and including a permanent ban:

• Conduct that is illegal, or that encourages, promotes, or incites illegal activity.
• Conduct that is harmful to minors, and any content that sexualizes a minor.
• Threatened or attempted acts of homicide, unlawful sexual behavior, assault, kidnapping, stalking, harassment, involuntary intoxication, robbery, or theft, or any other conduct that threatens public or personal safety.
• Defamatory or libelous content.
• Content that infringes another person's rights, including intellectual property and privacy rights.
• Images or recordings of another person created or shared without that person's consent.
• Obscene, pornographic, or violent content, and content that offends human dignity.
• Abusive, insulting, or threatening content, and content that promotes racism, sexism, hatred, or bigotry.
• Commercial solicitation, advertising, spam, and junk messaging.
• Impersonation, false identities, scams, fraud, and other inauthentic behavior.
• Malicious code, or any attempt to damage, intercept, or misappropriate data.

2. When we notify members about a reported member

When we receive a report about a member, we review it and act on the account. We do not routinely notify every person that member has spoken to, because most reports concern a single interaction and broad notification would expose the reporter.

We do notify members in the following circumstances:

• Fraud bans. If we ban a member because we believe they were attempting to obtain money from others by fraud or under a false identity, we notify every member in that state who received and responded to a message from them. We send that notice within 24 hours of the ban, or within three days if circumstances require more time. The notice tells you that the person may have been using a false identity or attempting to defraud members, and links to information about avoiding online fraud. It does not identify the banned member.
• Serious safety bans. If we ban a member for threats of violence, sexual misconduct, or conduct involving a minor, we may notify members who were in contact with them where we believe those members are at risk, and we may refer the matter to law enforcement.
• Reporters. We tell you the outcome of a report you filed. We never tell the reported member who reported them.

3. When we suspend or bar a member

We suspend or permanently bar members as a result of reports of prohibited content and conduct. What we do depends on the severity of the conduct and the member's history.

• We remove content, issue warnings, and restrict features for less serious violations.
• We suspend accounts while we investigate serious allegations.
• We permanently ban accounts for harassment, threats, scams, sexual misconduct, content involving minors, and repeat violations.
• We use face verification to prevent banned members from creating new accounts.

Members may appeal any of these decisions for six months after they are made, by writing to support@validmeet.com. A person reviews every appeal. Filing false or malicious reports is itself a violation.

4. Consent

We ban members for sexual misconduct without waiting for a criminal outcome, and we cooperate with law enforcement investigations.

5. Background checks

ValidMeet does not conduct criminal background screenings on its members. A criminal background screening can be inaccurate or incomplete, can give members a false sense of security, and can be circumvented by someone with a criminal history.

We may, in response to reports or credible information, review public records concerning a specific member and act on what we find. This is not a systematic screening programme and should not be relied on as one.

6. Safety awareness information

Our Safety Guidelines describe the safety measures we recommend before, during, and after meeting someone, including red flags for fraud, how to protect your personal information, and emergency resources. Every member is encouraged to read them.

7. Reporting and contact

Every profile, conversation, group, and event in the app has a report option, and any member can be blocked instantly without filing a report. Reports of objectionable content are reviewed within 24 hours.

To reach our safety team: safety@validmeet.com. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911 first.