Child Safety Policy
How we keep children safe, and what we do when something goes wrong.
- Version 1.0
- Effective October 29, 2026
- For: Everyone, especially parents and communities with young members
In short
- Many people in the communities that use TeamALA are children. This policy explains how we keep them safe, and what we do when something goes wrong.
Our commitments
1.1 No accounts for children under 13. We ask a neutral year-and-month question at first sign-in, with nothing filled in. If the answer is under 13, we create no account and keep nothing. If we learn that we hold information about a child under 13, we delete it.
1.2 Adults only in safety roles. Everyone who can use screening, and everyone who holds Ownership or Leadership, must confirm they are 18 or older and an adult where they live.
1.3 Private by default for everyone under 18:
- (a) no public profiles;
- (b) no direct messages between users;
- (c) no location collection;
- (d) no advertising or profiling; and
- (e) no features designed to keep people using TeamALA longer.
Our bot sends a direct message only to people who have turned that on.
1.4 People join by choice. Matching a community's rule is only an invitation. Nobody gets a role, or appears on a staff list, without pressing Join.
1.5 Screening helps keep children safe. Communities can check applicants against public information and records from our safety-data partner Okappiki. Officers see facts and sources, never a verdict. We store none of the findings.
1.6 Banned content. Our Acceptable Use Policy bans:
- (a) child sexual abuse material;
- (b) grooming and the sexual exploitation of children;
- (c) non-consensual intimate images;
- (d) pornography; and
- (e) content encouraging suicide, self-harm or eating disorders.
This covers short links and community pages that lead to such content.
Reporting a concern
2.1 Anyone can report at teamala.org/report, or with the report button on a community page or short link. You do not need an account.
2.2 If a child is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first.
2.3 Reports about child safety go to the front of our queue. We aim to act within 24 hours.
What we do
3.1 Child sexual abuse material and exploitation.
- (a) We remove the content at once and suspend the accounts and communities involved.
- (b) We preserve what the law requires, for one year.
- (c) We report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline, as United States law requires (18 U.S.C. section 2258A).
- (d) Where content is linked to the United Kingdom, we report it to the National Crime Agency, unless our NCMEC report already meets that duty.
- (e) Where we suspect a threat to someone's life or safety in the European Union, we tell the authorities of the country concerned.
3.2 Non-consensual intimate images. After a valid request, we remove the image and known identical copies within 48 hours.
3.3 A false age. If we find that someone in an adult role is under 18, we remove their screening and Leadership access at once, and review what they looked up.
3.4 Grooming and other risks. We remove the content, suspend the accounts, tell the community's owners where appropriate, and tell the authorities where the law requires it, or where a child is at risk.
Parents and guardians
Our page for parents and guardians (teamala.org/legal/parents) explains TeamALA. You can ask us questions, or ask us to delete your child's account, at privacy@teamala.org.
Who is responsible
Sébastien Ayotte, Managing Member of TeamALA Ltd Liability Co., is accountable for child safety on TeamALA. Contact: safety@teamala.org or legal@teamala.org.