Sofouw Child Safety Standards

Effective date: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

These standards apply to the Sofouw app, published by [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] (incorporated in [COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION], registration number [COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER], registered address [REGISTERED ADDRESS]). They set out how we prevent, detect and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) on Sofouw, in every country where Sofouw is available: [AVAILABLE COUNTRIES — the 22 member states of the Arab League and the United Kingdom; confirm].

1. Our commitment

Sofouw is a marriage-minded matchmaking app for Muslim adults. It is strictly for people aged 18 and over. We have zero tolerance for child sexual abuse and exploitation in any form. Protecting children is an amanah (trust) we take seriously, and it is a condition of using Sofouw that every user helps us uphold it.

2. What is prohibited

The following are strictly prohibited on Sofouw and will lead to an immediate, permanent ban and, where appropriate, a report to the authorities:

• any child sexual abuse material (CSAM), including images, videos, drawings, AI-generated or altered images, and text;
• grooming, or any attempt to contact, befriend, manipulate or arrange to meet a child for sexual purposes;
• sexualising children in any way, including in messages, jokes or profile content;
• sextortion — threatening to share intimate images of anyone, including a child, to obtain money, images or anything else;
• trafficking or exploitation of children;
• arranging, encouraging or promoting the marriage of anyone under 18 — even where local law would allow it — or any forced marriage;
• anyone under 18 using Sofouw, and anyone helping a person under 18 to use it;
• adults pretending to be children, or children pretending to be adults.

Profile photos must show only the account holder. Photos that include children, including your own children, are not allowed.

3. How we prevent harm

• 18+ only: every user must give their date of birth during sign-up, and we do not allow anyone under 18 to create an account. We may ask users to confirm their age, and we will close any account we believe belongs to someone under 18.
• Automated photo moderation: every uploaded photo is checked automatically before it is shown. Photos are rejected if a child or teenager is the main subject, if they contain nudity or a sexualised pose, if they contain contact details, or if they do not show a real adult who could plausibly be the account holder. Modest coverings such as hijab and niqab are welcome.
• Photos blurred by default: photos are blurred for others until a match, unless the user chooses otherwise, and clear photos are never sent to people who are not entitled to see them.
• No explicit content: sexual content is banned under our Community Guidelines.
• Wali involvement: users can invite a wali to oversee their conversations, and both people in a chat are told when a wali is present.
• Human review: trained moderators review reports, with child safety reports given the highest priority.
• Evidence preserved: when something is reported, we save a copy of the reported profile and conversation, so that it remains available to moderators and law enforcement even if the account is deleted.
• Blocking and unmatching: users can end contact with anyone at any time.

4. How to report a concern

In the app: open the person's profile or your chat with them, tap Report, and choose Seems under 18, or whichever reason fits best. You can also block or unmatch them.

By email: contact our child safety team at [SAFETY EMAIL]. You do not need a Sofouw account to report a concern. You can write to us in English or Arabic.

Please do not screenshot, download, forward or share any image you suspect shows child sexual abuse, even to report it. Doing so may be a criminal offence. Report it to us or to the authorities instead.

If a child is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number — for example Saudi Arabia 911, UAE 999, Qatar 999, Kuwait 112, Bahrain 999, Oman 9999, Egypt 122, Jordan 911, UK 999. You can also report directly to:

5. How we respond

When we receive a child safety report, or our systems detect a possible concern, we will:

1. review it as a priority;
2. remove the content and suspend or ban the account involved where there is a concern;
3. preserve relevant information securely, so that it can be provided to law enforcement;
4. report child sexual abuse material and other CSAE, in line with our legal obligations and Google Play's requirements:
   • to the relevant national authorities in the user's country, such as the police, public prosecution or the national child protection body [CONFIRM WITH LOCAL COUNSEL the competent authority and any mandatory reporting duty in each launch country];
   • to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), for reports from any country;
   • for UK users, to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the police, in line with our duties under the Online Safety Act 2023, and to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) where appropriate;
5. cooperate fully with law enforcement investigations.

We will never forward or share suspected abuse material except with the appropriate authorities as required by law. We keep records relating to child safety reports for as long as needed for safety and legal purposes, as explained in our Privacy Policy.

6. Compliance with the law

We comply with the child safety laws that apply to Sofouw in each country where it is available, and with the requirements of Google Play's Child Safety Standards policy. These include:

• United Kingdom: the Protection of Children Act 1978 and section 160 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (indecent images of children); the Sexual Offences Act 2003; the Online Safety Act 2023; the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022, which makes 18 the minimum age for marriage in England and Wales and makes it an offence to arrange the marriage of a child; the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 (forced marriage); and equivalent laws in Scotland and Northern Ireland;
• Other launch countries: national child protection, cybercrime, anti-trafficking and penal laws — for example the UAE's Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Rights ("Wadeema's Law") and Saudi Arabia's Child Protection System and Anti-Cyber Crime Law [CONFIRM WITH LOCAL COUNSEL the applicable laws in each launch country].

Where local law allows marriage below the age of 18, our own rule still applies: Sofouw is for adults aged 18 and over only.

7. Designated child safety point of contact

Our designated point of contact for child safety matters, including enquiries from Google Play, law enforcement and child protection organisations, is:

• Name / role: [CHILD SAFETY CONTACT NAME AND ROLE]
• Email: [SAFETY EMAIL]
• Post: [COMPANY LEGAL NAME], [REGISTERED ADDRESS]

This person is able to speak to our CSAE prevention practices and to take action on reports.

8. Training and review

Everyone who moderates content for Sofouw is trained to recognise and respond to child safety risks, in both English and Arabic content. We review these standards, our moderation processes and our safety tools at least once a year, and whenever the law or the risks change.