Child safety standards
These are the published standards for Pickle: Help Me Decide (“Pickle”), developed by Morgan Bennett, against child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE). They apply to everyone who uses the app, everywhere it is available.
Zero tolerance. Pickle does not allow child sexual abuse material (CSAM) or any other content or behavior that sexualizes, exploits, or endangers a minor. There is no warning, no strike system, and no second chance for this category. Accounts are removed, and reports go to the authorities.
On this page:
- What is prohibited
- Who is allowed to use Pickle
- How we prevent CSAE content
- How to report a child safety concern
- What happens after a report
- Our point of contact
What is prohibited
The following are strictly prohibited on Pickle, in any form, including in pickle text, option text, images, usernames, display names, and profile photos:
- Child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or any depiction of a minor in a sexualized manner, whether real, illustrated, or computer generated.
- Sexualizing, or sexual commentary about, a minor.
- Grooming, sexual solicitation of a minor, or any attempt to make sexual contact with a minor.
- Sextortion, or threatening to share a minor's intimate imagery.
- Trafficking of a minor, or advertising, soliciting, or facilitating access to CSAM.
- Using Pickle's voting, sharing, or invite features to distribute, promote, or draw attention to any of the above.
These standards sit alongside the wider rules in our Terms of Service, which also prohibit sexual content involving anyone, harassment, and illegal content generally.
Who is allowed to use Pickle
You must be at least 13 years old to create a Pickle account. Pickle is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 13, we delete the account and its data. If you believe a child under 13 has an account or has given us personal information, contact us at the address below and we will act on it.
Pickle has no direct messaging, no free-form chat, and no location sharing. Public pickles are voted on anonymously, and friends pickles are visible only to accepted friends. Every account can block another account, which hides content in both directions and removes any friendship.
How we prevent CSAE content
- Everything is screened before it is published. All text and all images pass through automated moderation before a pickle goes live. Content classified as sexual content involving minors is rejected outright and never published.
- Images are screened separately. Uploaded images are checked by an image safety classifier for adult, violent, and racy content in addition to the text screening.
- Moderation fails closed. If a moderation service is unreachable, content is rejected rather than published. We do not publish content we could not screen.
- Reports reach a human. Reported content is queued for human review, and moderators can remove content and terminate accounts.
Automated screening is not perfect. It is a first line of defense, not a substitute for reporting, which is why the report flow below exists on every pickle.
How to report a child safety concern
You can report without leaving the app:
- Find the pickle you are concerned about.
- Tap the ⋯ button on it, labeled “Report or block.”
- Choose Inappropriate content, or any reason that fits, and the report goes straight to a human moderator.
- The same menu has Block this poster, which hides that account's content from you and yours from them, and removes any friendship.
The in-app reasons are general purpose. For a child safety concern, please also email us so it is routed correctly and quickly.
For anything urgent, anything involving a specific child, or anything the in-app report does not cover, email us directly at iminapickle.app@gmail.com with the subject “Child safety report.” Reports in this category are prioritized ahead of all other support mail. You do not need a Pickle account to email us.
If a child is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. In the United States you can also report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. Outside the United States, report to your national hotline or law enforcement agency.
What happens after a report
- Review. A human reviews the report. Content that plausibly violates these standards is removed from public view while it is assessed.
- Enforcement. Confirmed CSAE violations result in immediate removal of the content and permanent termination of the account, with no appeal.
- Reporting to authorities. Apparent child sexual abuse material is reported to NCMEC, and to law enforcement where the law requires it. We preserve the associated records as required to support an investigation, and we cooperate with valid legal process.
- Follow up. If you reported by email, we will confirm receipt. We may not be able to share the outcome of an investigation with you.
We act in accordance with these published standards and with the child safety laws that apply to us, including United States federal reporting obligations for apparent CSAM.
Our point of contact
The designated point of contact for child safety and CSAM prevention and compliance for Pickle is:
Morgan Bennett
Developer, Pickle: Help Me Decide
iminapickle.app@gmail.com
Related: Terms of Service · Privacy Policy · Support