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Child Safety Standards
Effective Date: January 27, 2026
Coves.social is committed to the safety of all users, with particular emphasis on protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. This document outlines our standards and practices for preventing, detecting, and responding to child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on our platform.
Scope: These standards apply specifically to content accessed through coves.social and the official Coves mobile applications. Other services using Coves software or the AT Protocol may have their own policies.
Zero Tolerance Policy: Coves.social has a zero tolerance policy for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and any content or behavior that sexually exploits, abuses, or endangers children.
1. Our Commitment
Coves.social is dedicated to:
- Maintaining a platform free from child sexual abuse and exploitation
- Swiftly removing any CSAM that is identified on our platform
- Cooperating fully with law enforcement investigations
- Complying with all applicable child safety laws and regulations
- Continuously improving our safety measures and practices
2. Prohibited Content and Conduct
The following is strictly prohibited on Coves:
2.1 Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
Any visual depiction involving a minor or minor-aged character engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including but not limited to:
- Photographs and videos of real minors
- Synthetic, AI-generated, or digitally manipulated imagery depicting minors
- Simulated depictions created using adults made to appear as minors
- Illustrated, animated, or computer-generated imagery depicting minors or minor-aged characters in sexual contexts
- Any content that sexualizes minors or minor-aged characters, including seemingly innocent images presented in a sexual context
2.2 Grooming and Predatory Behavior
Any attempt to build trust with a minor for the purpose of sexual exploitation or abuse, including:
- Building inappropriate relationships with minors through flattery, gifts, or emotional manipulation
- Soliciting intimate images or content from minors
- Requesting personal information from minors (such as address, school, phone number, or social media accounts)
- Attempting to arrange offline meetings with minors for inappropriate purposes
- Gradually exposing minors to sexual content or conversations
2.3 Coercion and Sextortion
- Coercing minors to create or share intimate content
- Threatening to expose sexual images or private information about a minor
- Blackmailing or extorting minors using intimate content
- Pressuring minors into sexual activity or compliance through threats or manipulation
2.4 Child Trafficking
Any content or conduct related to the trafficking of minors for sexual purposes, including recruitment, transportation, or facilitation of such activities.
2.5 Minor Personal Information
Sharing or soliciting information about minors that could endanger their safety, including:
- Real-time location data of minors
- Personal details that could identify or locate a minor (home address, school name, daily routines)
- Private contact information of minors without appropriate consent
- Any information that could be used to target, locate, or contact minors for harmful purposes
3. Age Requirements
Coves.social is intended for users who are 18 years of age or older. Users must be at least 18 to create an account and use our services. We do not knowingly allow users under 18 to access coves.social.
3.1 Age Verification
We implement age restrictions through:
- Self-attestation: Users must confirm they are 18 or older during account setup
- Terms acceptance: By creating an account, users affirm they meet the minimum age requirement
- Platform integration: Coves uses AT Protocol OAuth authentication, which requires users to have an account with an AT Protocol identity provider that has its own age requirements
3.2 Underage User Response
If we have reason to believe a user is under 18:
- The account may be suspended pending verification
- Any data associated with the underage user will be handled in compliance with applicable child privacy laws
- The user or their guardian may contact us to discuss account status
4. Detection and Prevention
We employ multiple measures to detect and prevent CSAE on coves.social:
- Proactive content moderation and review processes
- User reporting mechanisms within the app for flagging concerning content or behavior
- Community-based moderation by trusted community members
- Regular review of reported content by our safety team
5. Reporting Mechanisms
We provide multiple ways for users to report CSAE or CSAM:
5.1 In-App Reporting
Users can report content or accounts directly within the official Coves mobile app using the built-in reporting feature. Reports are reviewed promptly by our moderation team.
5.2 Email Reports
Users can report concerns via email to support@coves.social. Please include as much detail as possible, including usernames, content descriptions, and screenshots if safe to do so.
5.3 External Reporting
In addition to reporting to Coves, we encourage users to report CSAM to:
6. Response Procedures
When we receive a report or identify potential CSAE or CSAM:
- Immediate Action: Content is promptly removed from public view pending review
- Investigation: Our team reviews the content and account to assess the situation
- Account Action: Accounts found to be distributing CSAM or engaging in CSAE are permanently banned
- Law Enforcement Reporting: Confirmed CSAM is reported to NCMEC and relevant law enforcement authorities as required by law
- Preservation: Evidence is preserved as required for law enforcement purposes
7. Compliance with Law
Coves.social complies with all applicable laws regarding child safety, including but not limited to:
- Reporting requirements to NCMEC under U.S. federal law (18 U.S.C. § 2258A)
- Cooperation with law enforcement investigations
- Preservation of evidence as required by law
- Applicable data protection regulations regarding minors' data
8. AT Protocol and Federation
Coves.social is built on the AT Protocol, a federated social networking protocol. Federation does not exempt content from our safety standards—prohibited content is not permitted regardless of its origin.
8.1 How Federation Works
In the AT Protocol ecosystem:
- User content is stored on Personal Data Servers (PDSs) which may be operated by various providers
- Coves.social operates an AppView that indexes and displays content from across the network
- Content may originate from PDSs we do not operate or control
8.2 Handling CSAM from External Sources
When CSAM originating from another PDS is identified in our AppView:
- Immediate blocking: Content is immediately blocked at the database layer, preventing display through coves.social
- Account blocking: The offending account is blocked from our AppView regardless of which PDS hosts it
- PDS operator notification: Where possible, we notify the originating PDS operator of the violation
- NCMEC reporting: Reporting to NCMEC proceeds as required by law, regardless of content origin
- Network coordination: We maintain shared blocklists with cooperating AT Protocol services where feasible
8.3 Our Scope of Control
- We can only directly moderate content indexed through our AppView at coves.social
- We actively monitor and moderate all content visible through coves.social and the official Coves mobile applications
- We work with other AT Protocol services, relay operators, and PDS providers to address CSAE across the network
- We cannot force other PDS operators to remove content, but we can and will block it from appearing on coves.social
9. Safety Resources
If you or someone you know is a victim of child sexual abuse or exploitation, please contact:
- National Child Abuse Hotline (US): 1-800-422-4453
- RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): 1-800-656-4673
- Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
- Local law enforcement: Call emergency services in your area
10. Contact Information
For questions about our child safety standards or to report concerns:
11. Updates to This Policy
We may update these standards from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or industry best practices. We will post any updates on this page and update the effective date accordingly.
Our Pledge: Coves.social is committed to maintaining a safe environment and will continue to invest in tools, training, and partnerships to combat child sexual abuse and exploitation on our platform.