Last updated: 24 April 2025)

1. Purpose

Hello Africa is a global dating community for adults aged 18 and above. We have zero tolerance for Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE). These Standards set out the rules, detection methods, reporting process and enforcement actions we use to keep minors safe and to comply with applicable laws and Google Play’s Child Safety Standards.

2. Definitions

• Child / Minor – anyone under 18 years of age.

• CSAE – any sexual activity involving a child, any depiction of a child’s sexual parts for primarily sexual purposes, or any content that sexually exploits or endangers a child.

• CSAM – child sexual abuse material, including images, video, audio or text.

• These definitions align with international law (UN CRC) and Google Play policy.

3. Zero-Tolerance Policy

Any CSAE content or behaviour results in immediate, permanent removal of the content and account, and will be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and, where legally required, to law-enforcement.

4. Age Restrictions & Verification

1. 18+ only – Users must affirm they are 18 or older during sign-up.

2. Multi-layer checks – We use date-of-birth entry, email/SMS verification and automated ID or selfie checks in high-risk scenarios.

3. Proactive sweeps – AI classifiers flag accounts that appear under-age for manual review.

4. Immediate termination – If we learn a user is under 18, we delete the profile and all associated data.

5. Prohibited Content & Behaviour

Users may not, at any time:

• Upload, share, request or link to CSAM.

• Sexualise, groom or solicit minors on- or off-platform.

• Share any image depicting a minor in sexual context, including “deepfake” or AI-generated.

• Encourage or facilitate the trafficking or exploitation of minors.

• Evade a CSAE ban by creating new accounts.

6. Detection & Moderation

• Automated tools: We hash all user-uploaded media and compare against industry databases (e.g., Microsoft PhotoDNA, Safer by Thorn). Novel content is screened by AI classifiers trained to flag potential CSAE.

• Human review: A trained Trust & Safety team reviews all AI flags, new profile photos and CSAE reports 24/7.

• Priority handling: CSAE reports are escalated to the top of the queue and actioned within minutes where possible, always within 24 hours.

7. Reporting & Escalation

• In-app reporting: Every profile and chat has a “Report” button with a dedicated CSAE category.

• External reporting: Suspected CSAE is immediately reported to NCMEC’s CyberTipline (for U.S. users) and to relevant national hotlines elsewhere.

• User feedback: Reporters receive confirmation we’ve received and are acting on their report.

8. Cooperation with Law Enforcement

We preserve evidence, provide account logs, IP data and any other legally permissible information to assist verified law-enforcement requests that relate to CSAE investigations.

9. Survivor & Community Support

We share resources to organisations such as:

• NCMEC – missingkids.org | 1-800-THE-LOST (U.S.)

• Child Helpline International – childhelplineinternational.org

• Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) – rainn.org | 1-800-656-HOPE

10. Employee Training & Accountability

• All staff undergo annual CSAE awareness and mandatory-reporting training.

• Moderators receive advanced instruction on CSAE indicators, trauma-informed response and safe evidence handling.

• Breach of these standards by employees results in disciplinary action up to dismissal and referral to law enforcement.

11. Transparency & Review

• We publish an annual Trust & Safety Transparency Report disclosing the volume of CSAE reports received, content removed and referrals to NCMEC / police.

• These Standards are reviewed at least once a year or earlier when laws, Google Play requirements or technology change.

12. Governance & Contact

Hello Africa, Inc.
Trust & Safety Office
405 Alpine Street, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA
Email: contact@helloafrica.app