POY · Legal

Community Guidelines

What is and is not allowed, and how we enforce it.

Draft v0.2 — Effective date: [GO-LIVE DATE] (drafted 2026-06-08)

POY is community photo feedback, built to feel safe. It is not an appearance- rating app. These Guidelines are the rules for everything you post, vote on, or send on POY. They apply to all content and conduct — photos, head-to-head photos, "Decide" questions and answers, reports, and support messages — and to everyone, everywhere, with no exceptions.

They form part of our Terms of Service and work alongside our Acceptable Use Policy (technical/abuse rules), our Copyright & IP Policy, and our Privacy Policy. Breaking them has consequences, up to and including a permanent ban and a report to law enforcement.

We enforce these rules regardless of a user's intent, fame, or follower count (POY has neither), and regardless of whether content is "ironic", "a joke", or "satire". If content meets a definition below, it is actioned.

1. Our principles

Safety comes first — including, above all, the safety of minors.
Real people are behind every photo. Anonymity is for honesty and safety, never a shield for cruelty.
Keep it lawful. Nothing illegal, anywhere we operate.
Consent matters. Don't post people who didn't agree to be on POY.
No manipulation. Honest votes, real accounts, no tricks.
We are accountable. We log enforcement, we explain it, and we offer appeals.

2. How these rules are enforced

Every piece of content sits in one of these outcomes:

Outcome	What happens
Allowed	Stays up for its short lifetime.
Removed	Taken down (and the image deleted). Counts as a strike against the account.
Held for review	Kept out of the feed until a human checks it (used when automated checks are unsure or fail).
Account action	Warning → temporary suspension → permanent ban, depending on severity and history.
Zero-tolerance	Immediate permanent ban and, where required by law, a report to the authorities (see §4 and §16).

POY has no "age-restricted, adults-only" tier: the service is 16+ and content is ephemeral, so disallowed content is removed, not down-ranked.

2.1 The strike system

We use a strike system modelled on industry practice so enforcement is consistent and proportionate:

A strike is recorded each time we remove your content for breaking these rules, or take an account action.
Strikes are counted within a rolling 90-day window.
Escalation ladder (the safety team may move faster for serious cases):
1. 1st strike — content removed + warning.
2. 2nd–3rd strikes — content removed + temporary restriction (e.g. posting paused).
3. Further strikes / repeat behaviour — temporary suspension.
4. Persistent or serious breaches — permanent ban.
Severe (zero-tolerance) violations skip the ladder and result in an immediate permanent ban regardless of history (see §4).
Creating a new account to evade a strike, suspension, or ban ("ban evasion") is itself a serious violation and will be actioned on every account involved.

The mechanics of how this is operated (queues, audit log, appeals) are in MODERATION_AND_ESCALATION.md.

3. What POY is for

Getting genuine, anonymous feedback on a photo you're unsure about.
Voting honestly and fairly to help others.
Using Decide to get the community's view between two options.

You are anonymous here, and so is everyone else. That is a reason to be kinder, not crueller.

4. Zero-tolerance — immediate permanent ban + reported where required

The following lead to an immediate, permanent ban and, where the law requires, a report to the relevant authority (e.g. NCMEC, the NCA/CEOP, the IWF, or the police). There is no "first strike" for these:

Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any sexualisation of a minor, in any form (real, drawn, AI-generated, or implied).
Grooming, soliciting, or attempting to obtain sexual content from, or contact with, a minor.
Sexual exploitation of any person, including non-consensual intimate images ("revenge porn") and sextortion.
Credible threats of serious violence, or content facilitating terrorism or violent extremism.
Promotion or facilitation of human trafficking or sexual exploitation.

We report suspected CSAM and serious threats to life to the authorities and cooperate with law enforcement. See MODERATION_AND_ESCALATION.md §6–§8.

5. Minor safety

POY is for users 16 and over. We hold the line hard on anything involving minors.

Not allowed:

Any sexual or suggestive content involving a minor (see §4 — zero-tolerance).
Nudity or partial nudity of a minor, including "innocent" family photos that expose a child — do not post photos of children at all.
Content that physically or psychologically endangers a minor.
Using POY if you are under 16, or helping someone under 16 use it.
Collecting, requesting, or sharing a minor's personal information.

More information. Because POY can't verify identity, our rule is simple and absolute: don't post photos of children, and don't post yourself if you're under 16. If you see a likely under-16 account or content endangering a child, report it immediately. We act on minor-safety reports as the highest priority.

6. Sexual content & nudity (adults)

POY is not a place for sexual content.

Not allowed:

Nudity, partial nudity intended to be sexual, or visible genitalia/buttocks/female nipples in a sexual context.
Sexual acts, simulated sexual acts, or fetish content.
Sexually explicit, suggestive, or "thirst-trap" content whose primary purpose is sexual arousal.
Sexual solicitation, or offering/seeking sexual services.
Content sexualising another person, especially without consent.

More information. Medical, educational, or artistic nudity is still removed on POY — the format (anonymous photo voting) is not suited to it, and we apply a bright line. Non-consensual intimate imagery is zero-tolerance (§4).

7. Violence, threats & violent extremism

Not allowed:

Threats of violence against any person or group.
Content that incites, praises, or provides instructions for violence.
Content depicting, promoting, or providing material support to terrorist or violent- extremist organisations or individuals, or their symbols/propaganda.
Content celebrating or seeking to inspire mass violence, or its perpetrators.
Gratuitous gore or extremely graphic violence (see also §12).

More information. Credible threats and terrorism/violent-extremism content are zero-tolerance (§4) and are reported where required.

8. Hateful behaviour & hate speech

POY has no place for hate.

Not allowed:

Attacks, slurs, dehumanisation, or calls for exclusion or harm targeting people based on a protected characteristic: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, disability, serious disease, or immigration status.
Hateful ideologies, or promotion of hateful organisations or individuals.
Slurs and hateful imagery, including in "Decide" answers.

More information. We don't accept "I was joking" as a defence to hate speech. We allow people to discuss their own experiences and to counter hate, but not to spread it.

9. Harassment & bullying

Not allowed:

Degrading, mocking, or humiliating an identifiable person.
Targeted harassment, pile-ons, or content designed to shame someone.
Unwanted sexual harassment.
Posting someone's image to invite cruelty about their appearance, body, or worth.
Using votes, reports, or "Decide" questions to bully or single someone out.

More information. POY measures opinions on a photo, never a person's value. Content whose purpose is to demean a specific person is removed even if no single word is a slur.

10. Suicide, self-harm & disordered eating

We treat mental health with care. If you're struggling, please reach out — resources are at the end.

Not allowed:

Content that promotes, encourages, instructs, or provides means/methods for suicide or self-harm.
Content that promotes or normalises eating disorders or disordered eating, or shares related methods/"tips".
Content that mocks or trivialises self-harm, suicide, or eating disorders.
Challenges, hoaxes, or dares encouraging self-harm.

More information. We may remove harmful content while signposting support. Where someone appears to be at imminent risk, our safety team escalates and, where a life is in danger, may contact emergency services (MODERATION_AND_ESCALATION.md §7). Under the UK Online Safety Act, certain self-harm/eating-disorder content is "content harmful to children", which our 16+ rule and moderation target.

11. Dangerous activities & challenges

Not allowed:

Content showing or encouraging dangerous acts, stunts, or "challenges" likely to cause serious injury.
Instructions for dangerous or harmful behaviour.
Promotion of dangerous misinformation that could cause physical harm.

12. Shocking & graphic content

Not allowed:

Gratuitously graphic, gory, or violent imagery.
Content depicting real death, serious injury, or human/animal cruelty for shock.
Content designed to disgust or distress viewers.

13. Illegal & regulated goods and activities

Not allowed:

Depicting, offering, soliciting, or facilitating trade in illegal drugs, controlled substances, weapons/firearms/explosives, or other regulated goods.
Content promoting fraud, scams, gambling, counterfeit goods, or other illegal commercial activity.
Instructions for criminal or seriously harmful activity.

More information. POY has no marketplace, ads, or commerce features — all selling, advertising, and promotion is off-limits, regulated or not.

14. Integrity & authenticity

POY only works if it's real.

Not allowed:

Spam — repetitive, bulk, or unsolicited content.
Platform manipulation — bots, automation, scripts, fake or multiple accounts, vote manipulation, or buying/selling votes or accounts.
Fake engagement — artificially inflating or gaming votes.
Impersonation — pretending to be another person or organisation, or posting their likeness as your own.
Scams & fraud — phishing, deceptive schemes, or attempts to obtain money or data.
Contact-grabbing — links, URLs, emails, phone numbers, or social handles (these are blocked automatically in "Decide" text and are not allowed in any content).
Harmful misinformation — false content that could cause real-world harm (e.g. to health or public safety). Synthetic/AI-generated media that is deceptive and could mislead or harm is treated the same.

More information. Manipulating votes or running multiple accounts undermines everyone's feedback and is grounds for suspension or a ban.

15. Privacy & personal data

Not allowed:

Posting a photo that shows an identifiable person without their clear consent to appear on POY (you may always report a photo of yourself — use "It's me").
Doxxing — sharing anyone's private or personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, workplaces, accounts, documents), yours or others'.
Sharing sensitive personal data (health, sexuality, religion, political views) about yourself or others.
Attempting to identify, locate, or contact another POY user, or to de-anonymise voters or posters.

More information. POY is anonymous and ephemeral by design. Posting someone else's image without consent is one of the fastest routes to removal and a ban, and may breach data-protection law and their other rights. See the Privacy Policy.

16. Intellectual property

Only post content you own or have the right to share. Don't post others' copyrighted photos, trademarks, or other protected material without permission. Rights holders can submit a takedown under our Copyright & IP Policy; repeat infringers are banned.

17. Voting fairly

Vote honestly — but remember a real person sees the result.
Don't vote to be cruel; POY measures opinions, not worth.
Don't manipulate votes with bots, scripts, or extra accounts (see §14).

18. Reporting & blocking

Report anything that breaks these rules using the report control on the top-left of any card. Reasons available in-app:

Reason	Use it for
Inappropriate or offensive	Harmful content that doesn't belong on POY
Nudity or sexual content	Sexual or explicit imagery
Violence or harm	Violence, gore, threats, self-harm
Spam or scam	Junk, ads, scams, manipulation
It shows someone without consent / it's me	A person who didn't agree — including you
Something else	Anything else (add a note)

You can also block a poster to never see their content again — blocking is private. Multiple reports, or any report for a serious reason, triggers review and can remove content and action the account. Filing knowingly false reports to harass others is itself a violation.

19. Appeals

If we removed your content or actioned your account and you believe we got it wrong, you can appeal via in-app Support or [privacy@heypoy.app]. A person — not an automated system — reviews it, and we aim to acknowledge within 72 hours. If we agree, we reverse the action and remove the strike. See MODERATION_AND_ESCALATION.md §5.

20. Government & legal removals

We may remove content or restrict access to comply with the law or a valid legal order, and we report unlawful content where required (e.g. CSAM, terrorism). Where appropriate and lawful, we record and may report on such actions. See LAW_ENFORCEMENT_GUIDELINES.md.

21. Changes

We may update these Guidelines as POY and the law evolve (including under the UK Online Safety Act). The current version lives at heypoy.app/guidelines. Material changes are announced in-app.

💛 If you're struggling

Votes are strangers' opinions, not your worth. If a photo or some feedback leaves you feeling low, step away. If you're in distress or thinking about self-harm, please talk to someone you trust or a support service in your country — in the UK: Samaritans, 116 123 (free, 24/7); in an emergency, call 999. [Add localised helplines per launch region.]

Questions: [privacy@heypoy.app] / hello@heypoy.app.

Questions about this policy? Contact privacy@heypoy.app or visit our contact page.