Child Safety Standards
At LowKey, safeguarding minors is a foundational priority. This page outlines our commitment to preventing the exploitation and abuse of children, our compliance with Google Play's Child Safety Standards policy, and the measures we take to create a safe environment for all users.
Zero Tolerance Policy
LowKey has absolute zero tolerance for the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, and for any material depicting such abuse. Any content, behavior, or account found to be involved in the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors will be immediately removed and reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
01.Age Requirements & Eligibility
LowKey is designed for language learners and is intended for users aged 13 and older (or 16 and older in the European Economic Area and United Kingdom, in compliance with GDPR age of digital consent requirements).
- We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under the applicable minimum age.
- Users must accurately represent their age during registration. Accounts created by underage individuals will be promptly terminated.
- LowKey is not directed at children and does not target children as an audience.
- Our app is not designed for, marketed to, or listed in the "Family" category on any app store.
02.Prohibited Content & Conduct
The following content and conduct are strictly prohibited on LowKey and will result in immediate account termination, content removal, and reporting to law enforcement:
Abuse Material
Any imagery, video, text, or other content that depicts, promotes, or facilitates the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors. This includes real, digitally generated, and AI-generated content.
Grooming & Solicitation
Any attempt to build a relationship with a minor for the purpose of exploitation, including but not limited to soliciting personal information, arranging offline meetings with harmful intent, or engaging in inappropriate conversations with minors.
Coercion & Extortion
Threatening to share intimate imagery of a minor, coercing a minor into producing inappropriate content, or any form of blackmail involving minors.
Trafficking & Exploitation
Any content or conduct that facilitates child trafficking, commercial exploitation of minors, or the recruitment of minors for exploitative purposes.
03.Detection, Reporting & Enforcement
LowKey employs a combination of automated systems and human moderation to detect, remove, and report harmful content involving minors:
Content Moderation
User-generated content (profile images, chat messages, room names) is subject to moderation. Content that violates our policies is swiftly removed and the offending account is permanently banned.
User Reporting
Users can report concerning behavior or content directly within the app. All reports involving potential child endangerment are treated as highest priority and reviewed promptly.
NCMEC Reporting
Upon discovering or receiving a credible report of abuse material, LowKey will report the content to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) via their CyberTipline, and cooperate with law enforcement investigations as required by applicable law.
Account Enforcement
Accounts found to be involved in child exploitation are immediately and permanently banned. Account data is preserved as necessary for law enforcement purposes before permanent deletion.
04. Platform Safety Measures
In addition to our enforcement procedures, LowKey implements the following proactive safety measures:
- No private 1-on-1 video calls with strangers: Voice and video interactions on LowKey take place in group rooms that are visible to other participants, reducing the risk of private exploitation.
- No call recordings: LowKey does not record, store, or transcribe live audio or video conversations, preventing the creation of exploitative recordings through our platform.
- Moderation tools: Room creators and administrators have the ability to kick, ban, and mute participants who engage in inappropriate behavior.
- Community guidelines: All users agree to our Terms of Service which explicitly prohibit harassment, abuse, and any form of exploitation.
- Ban and suspension system: Our moderation team can ban or suspend users who violate community standards, with additional safeguards against ban evasion.
05. Legal Compliance
LowKey is committed to complying with all applicable child safety laws and regulations, including but not limited to:
- Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in the United States.
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): We enforce a minimum age of 16 for users in the EEA/UK and do not process minors' data without appropriate legal basis.
- 18 U.S.C. § 2258A: We comply with mandatory reporting obligations for apparent violations involving child exploitation.
- Google Play Developer Program Policies: We comply with Google Play's Child Safety Standards, including the Child Endangerment policy requirements.
06. Designated Point of Contact
LowKey maintains a dedicated point of contact for child safety matters, including notifications from Google Play and inquiries from law enforcement agencies.
How to report child safety concerns
If you encounter any content or behavior on LowKey that you believe involves the exploitation or endangerment of a minor, please report it immediately through one of the following channels:
- In-app: Use the report button available on user profiles and in room chats.
- Email: Contact safety@lowkey.talk with as much detail as possible.
- NCMEC CyberTipline: You can also report directly to NCMEC at missingkids.org.