Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Standards
Effective Date: October 10, 2025
Important: Sootro is committed to maintaining a safe environment and has zero tolerance for child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). This page outlines our standards and policies in compliance with Google Play Child Safety Standards.
1. Our Commitment to Child Safety
Sootro is dedicated to protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. We have implemented comprehensive policies and systems to:
- Prevent CSAE content and behavior on our platform
- Detect and respond to potential CSAE incidents
- Cooperate with law enforcement and child safety organizations
- Continuously improve our safety measures
2. Definition of CSAE
Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) refers to content or behavior that sexually exploits, abuses, or endangers children. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Grooming a child for sexual exploitation
- Sextorting a child
- Trafficking of a child for sex
- Any other form of sexual exploitation of a child
- Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)
3. Age Verification and Eligibility
Sootro requires all users to be at least 18 years of age. We employ various methods to verify user age including:
- Account registration age verification
- Identity verification processes
- Ongoing monitoring for underage users
- Immediate account termination for users found to be under 18
4. Prohibited Content and Behavior
The following content and behaviors are strictly prohibited on Sootro:
- Any content depicting, encouraging, or facilitating CSAE
- Attempts to groom, exploit, or abuse minors
- Sharing, distributing, or requesting CSAM
- Using the platform to arrange meetings with minors for inappropriate purposes
- Any communication or behavior that sexualizes children
5. Detection and Prevention Measures
Sootro employs multiple layers of protection including:
- Automated Detection: AI-powered systems to identify potential CSAE content and behavior
- Human Review: Trained moderators review flagged content and user reports
- PhotoDNA Technology: Industry-standard hash-matching technology to detect known CSAM
- Behavioral Analysis: Monitoring for suspicious patterns that may indicate CSAE activity
- Regular Audits: Ongoing assessment and improvement of our safety systems
6. Reporting Mechanisms
Users can report suspected CSAE content or behavior through multiple channels:
- In-App Reporting: Direct reporting feature available on all user profiles and conversations
- Email Reports: Send detailed reports to safety@sootro.com
- Emergency Contact: For urgent situations, contact our 24/7 safety hotline
- Anonymous Reporting: Users can report anonymously without fear of retaliation
7. Response and Action
Upon receiving a report or detecting potential CSAE content/behavior, we take immediate action:
- Immediate Suspension: Suspected accounts are immediately suspended pending investigation
- Content Removal: Any CSAE content is immediately removed from our platform
- Law Enforcement Reporting: We report all CSAE incidents to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and appropriate law enforcement agencies
- Evidence Preservation: We preserve evidence as required by law enforcement investigations
- Permanent Ban: Users found engaging in CSAE are permanently banned from our platform
8. Cooperation with Authorities
Sootro fully cooperates with:
- Law enforcement agencies investigating CSAE cases
- The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
- International child safety organizations
- Other platforms and industry partners in combating CSAE
9. User Education and Awareness
We are committed to educating our users about child safety through:
- Safety tips and guidelines within the app
- Regular communications about online safety
- Resources for recognizing and reporting CSAE
- Partnerships with child safety organizations
10. Continuous Improvement
Our child safety efforts are continuously evolving through:
- Regular review and updates of our policies
- Investment in new detection technologies
- Staff training on child safety best practices
- Collaboration with industry experts and researchers
- Participation in child safety initiatives and coalitions
12. Legal Compliance
These standards are designed to ensure compliance with:
- Google Play Child Safety Standards Policy
- U.S. federal and state child protection laws
- International child safety regulations
- Industry best practices and standards
13. Updates and Changes
These CSAE standards may be updated periodically to reflect:
- Changes in applicable laws and regulations
- Improvements in detection and prevention technology
- Feedback from child safety experts and organizations
- Platform policy updates
Users will be notified of significant changes to these standards through in-app notifications and email communications.
Emergency Resources:
Last updated: October 10, 2025