Community & UGC Policy

1. Zero tolerance

Sammes has zero tolerance for objectionable content and for abusive users. There is no tolerance for it, no grey area and no exception.

This policy applies to everything a user can post, publish or send through the Sammes apps. That includes profiles, display names, biographies, posts, comments, replies, direct messages, images, and descriptions of devices or setups. It applies above all on Social, and everywhere else that user-generated content exists, including Connect and Intel.

If you break this policy, your content can be removed and your account can be suspended or permanently banned. We enforce the policy as it is written, and we do not make exceptions for popular, long-standing or otherwise valuable users.

2. What counts as objectionable content

Objectionable content is content that does any of the following:

• Harasses or bullies another person, or encourages others to harass or bully someone. This includes targeted abuse, pile-ons and repeated unwanted contact.
• Contains hate speech, meaning content that attacks, dehumanises or promotes violence against people because of race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, age, sex, gender identity or sexual orientation.
• Threatens violence, or promotes, glorifies or instructs on violence or self-harm.
• Is sexual, including sexually explicit content, pornography, and any content that sexualises a person without their consent.
• Involves minors, including any sexual content involving a minor, any content that endangers a minor, and any attempt to contact a minor for an inappropriate purpose. Content that involves a minor in this way is reported to the authorities.
• Is spam or fraudulent, including bulk or deceptive content, scams, phishing, malware, and artificially inflated engagement.
• Is illegal, or promotes illegal activity, including the sale of illegal goods or services.
• Infringes the rights of others, including intellectual property and the privacy of another person.

This list is not exhaustive. If content is abusive, dangerous or unlawful, it is objectionable even if it does not match a line above.

3. How we filter content

We filter content both before and after it is published. The filtering is layered, because no single method is reliable on its own.

Before publication

• Automated classification. Text and images are screened as they are submitted for signals of the categories in section 2, including hate speech, threats, sexual content and spam.
• Blocklists and matching. Known bad terms, domains and media hashes are blocked or flagged.
• Rate limits and new-account checks. Limits on posting speed, and closer scrutiny of accounts that have just been created, reduce spam and coordinated abuse.

After publication

• Ongoing detection. Published content continues to be screened for objectionable material.
• User reports. Every report enters a review queue and is assessed (see section 4).
• Human review. Flagged content and reports are reviewed by trained members of the Sammes team, who decide the action and record it.
• Account-level checks. We look for patterns of abusive behaviour across an account, not only at single posts.

Filtering is not perfect and we do not pretend that it is. If something objectionable reaches you, report it and we will act.

4. Reporting content from inside the app

Any user can report a post, comment, message or profile directly from inside the app.

1. Open the content or the profile you want to report.
2. Tap the more menu (three dots) or the report icon.
3. Choose Report.
4. Select a reason, for example harassment, hate speech, sexual content, spam or something else.
5. Add a note if you wish, then submit.

The report goes straight into our review queue. You can report a user from their profile as well. Reporting does not require you to block the person first, and every report is reviewed. Reports about a threat to someone's safety are prioritised. You can also report content by email to [email protected].

5. Blocking an abusive user

You can block any user, at any time, from their profile or from a post or comment.

1. Open the profile of the user you want to block.
2. Tap the more menu.
3. Choose Block and confirm.

Blocking is two-way and takes effect immediately. When you block someone:

• They can no longer see your profile or your content, and you can no longer see theirs.
• They cannot message you or mention you, and you cannot message or mention them.
• Any follows between you are removed.
• You can unblock them later from Settings, then Blocked accounts.

Blocking is separate from reporting. If you have been abused, we encourage you to do both. Blocking stops the contact; reporting lets us act on the account.

6. Our 24-hour commitment

We commit to act within 24 hours. When we are made aware of objectionable content or an abusive user, we will review it and, where it breaches this policy, remove the content and eject the user responsible within 24 hours of the report or notification. Reports are actioned within that same 24-hour window. This commitment applies to reports made in the app, to emails sent to [email protected], and to notices from authorities.

Where there is an imminent risk to life or safety, we act immediately and may contact the Norwegian police, without waiting for the 24-hour window to run.

7. Enforcement

Depending on how serious the breach is and on the user's history, we apply the following steps:

1. Removal. The content is removed, or the account's access to the relevant feature is restricted.
2. Warning. A formal warning is issued, explaining what happened and what will happen if it is repeated.
3. Temporary suspension. The account is suspended for a set period.
4. Permanent ban. The account is permanently closed and the user may not return.

The most serious breaches, in particular anything involving a minor or a credible threat, can lead straight to a permanent ban. We record enforcement actions, and repeated breaches escalate. If you believe we made the wrong decision, email [email protected] and we will look again.

8. Age requirements

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Sammes apps. Where the law of your country sets a higher age for consent to online services, that higher age applies. Users below the minimum age are not permitted, and accounts we find below the minimum age are removed. Where a user is below the age of majority, a parent or guardian should review this policy with them and help them use the apps safely.

We do not knowingly allow objectionable content involving minors. We act on it, and where the law requires it we report it to the authorities.

9. Contact us

To report content, use the in-app reporting tools in section 4, or email [email protected]. For anything urgent to do with safety, use the same address and put URGENT in the subject line.

This policy should be read together with our Terms of Service, our Acceptable Use Policy and our Support page. We may update this policy from time to time; the version and date at the top of the page always reflect the current version.