BuzzTender User Guidelines

Introduction

BuzzTender's mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. We are building a global community where people can create and share, discover the world around them, and connect with others across the world. We are committed to maintaining a supportive environment for our growing community. Our User Guidelines establish a set of norms and common User Guidelines that provide for a safe and welcoming space for everyone.

At BuzzTender, we prioritize safety, diversity, inclusion, and authenticity. We encourage creators to celebrate what makes them unique and viewers to engage with what inspires them; we believe that a safe environment helps everyone do so openly.  We prize the global nature of our community and strive to take into account the breadth of cultural norms where we operate. We also aim to cultivate an environment for genuine interactions by encouraging authentic content on BuzzTender.

Our User Guidelines apply to everyone and everything on BuzzTender. We proactively enforce them using a mix of technology and human moderation and aim to do so before people report potentially violative content to us.

 

We will remove any content – including video, audio, livestream, images, comments, links, or other text – that violates our User Guidelines. Individuals are notified of our decisions and can appeal them if they believe no violation has occurred. We will temporarily or permanently ban accounts and/or users that are involved in severe or repeated on-platform violations; we may also consider actions on other platforms and offline behavior in these decisions. Circumstances that involve any instance of a threat of real-world harm to human life that is specific, credible, and imminent may be reported to law enforcement authorities. The full BuzzTender experience is for people 13 and older, and we actively remove accounts of people we suspect are under this age. (In the US, we accommodate people under 13 in BuzzTender for Younger Users, a limited app experience designed specifically for this audience with additional safeguards and privacy protections.)

Our algorithms are designed with trust and safety in mind. For some content, we may reduce discoverability, including by redirecting search results, or making videos ineligible for recommendation in the for You feed. More information can be found below in the Ineligible for the for You feed section.

At the same time, we recognize that some content that would normally be removed per our User Guidelines may be in the public interest. Therefore, we may allow exceptions under certain limited circumstances, such as educational, documentary, scientific, artistic, or satirical content, content in fictional or professional settings, counter speech, or content that otherwise enables individual expression on topics of social importance. To minimize the potentially negative impact of graphic content, we may first include safety measures such as an “opt-in” screen or warning.

In consultation with relevant stakeholders, we update our User Guidelines from time to time to evolve alongside new behaviors and risks, as part of our commitment to keeping BuzzTender a safe place for creativity and joy.

Minor safety

We are deeply committed to protecting the safety of minors on our platform. BuzzTender defines a minor as any person under the age of 18. We prohibit activities that perpetuate the abuse, harm, endangerment, or exploitation of minors on BuzzTender. Any content, including animation or digitally created or manipulated media, that depicts abuse, exploitation, or endangerment of minors is a violation on our platform and will be removed when detected. We report child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and supporting evidence to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and to any additional relevant legal authorities.

Our users must meet the minimum age requirements to use BuzzTender, as stipulated in our Terms of Service. When an underage account is identified, we remove it. Given our platform is designed with the safety of minors in mind, some of our features are age restricted. Account holders who are under the age of 16 cannot use direct messaging or host a livestream and their content is not eligible to appear in the for You feed (the age thresholds may be higher in some regions). Account holders who are under the age of 18 cannot send or receive gifts via our virtual gifting features.

Sexual exploitation of minors

BuzzTender will take action on any content or accounts involving CSAM or sexual exploitation of a minor. Sexual exploitation of minors includes any abuse of a position of power or trust for sexual purposes, including profiting financially, socially, sexually, or politically from the exploitation of a minor. CSAM is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit nudity or conduct of a minor, whether captured by predatory adults, peers, or self-generated by minors.

Do not post, upload, download, stream, or share:

• Content that shares, offers to trade or sell, or directs users off platform to obtain or distribute CSAM
• Content that engages with minors in a sexualized way, or otherwise sexualizes a minor (e.g., via product features like duets) 
• Content that depicts, solicits, glorifies, or encourages child abuse imagery including nudity, sexualized minors, or sexual activity with minors
• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies pedophilia or the sexual assault of a minor
• Content that re-victimized or capitalizes on minor victims of abuse by third party re-shares or reenactments of assault or confessions

Grooming behavior

Grooming behaviors are those in which an adult builds an emotional relationship with a minor in order to gain the minor's trust for the purposes of future or ongoing sexual contact, sexual abuse, trafficking, or other exploitation. These behaviors may include: flattery, requests for contact on or off platform, requests for personal information, solicitation of minor sexual abuse material, sexual solicitations or comments, and gift-giving.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Grooming advances
• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies grooming behaviors
• Content that solicits real-world contact between a minor and an adult or between minors with a significant age difference
• Content that displays or offers nudity to minors
• Content that solicits minors to connect with an adult on another platform, website, or other digital space
• Any solicitation of nude imagery or sexual contact, through blackmail or other means of coercion

Nudity and sexual activity involving minors

Nudity and sexual activity involving minors include content that is overtly revealing of breasts, genitals, anus, or buttocks, or behaviors that mimic, imply, or display sex acts involving minors. We do not allow the depiction, including digitally created or manipulated content, of nudity or sexual activity.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that depicts or implies minor sexual activities including penetrative and non-penetrative sex, oral sex, or intimate kissing
• Content that depicts sexual arousal or sexual stimulation involving a minor
• Content that depicts a sexual fetish involving a minor
• Content that depicts exposed genitals, buttocks, the pubic region, or female nipples of a minor

• Content that contains sexually explicit language depicting or describing a minor
• Content depicting a minor that contains sexually explicit song lyrics
• Content with sexually explicit dancing of a minor, including twerking, breast shaking, pelvic thrusting, or fondling the groin or breasts of oneself or another
• Content depicting a minor undressing
• Content depicting a minor in minimal clothing that is not situationally relevant to the location
• Sexualized comments, emoji’s, text, or other graphics used to veil or imply nudity or sexual activity of a minor

Harmful activities by minors

Harmful minor activities include the possession or consumption of substances prohibited for minors, the misuse of legal substances, engagement in illegal activities, and participation in activities, physical challenges, or dares that may threaten the well-being of minors. We remove any such content from our platform.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

Content that suggests, depicts, imitates, or promotes the possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, or drugs by a minor

Content that offers instruction targeting minors on how to buy, sell, or trade alcohol, tobacco, or controlled substances

Content that depicts or promotes activities that may jeopardize youth well-being, including physical challenges, dares, or stunts

Physical and psychological harm of minors

Behaviors that place minors at risk of physical or psychological harm include physical abuse, neglect, child endangerment, and psychological disparagement. We remove any such content from our platform.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

Content that depicts or promotes physical abuse, neglect, endangerment, or psychological disparagement of minors

Crimes against children

We do not allow users who have been convicted of crimes against children to have an account on our platform. These crimes include: sexual assault, molestation, murder, physical abuse or neglect, abduction, international parental kidnapping, trafficking, exploitation of minors for prostitution, live online sexual abuse of a minor, sexual exploitation of minors in the context of travel and tourism, attempts to obtain or distribute CSAM, and the production, possession, or distribution of CSAM. If we discover any such users, we ban the account. Any self-disclosed user information that states the account holder is a pedophile or minor sex offender will be taken at face value and the account will be deleted.

Dangerous acts and challenges

We do not permit users to share content depicting, promoting, normalizing or glorifying dangerous acts that may lead to serious injury or death. We also do not allow content which promotes or endorses collective participation in dangerous or harmful activities that violate any aspect of our User Guidelines.

We define dangerous acts or other dangerous behavior as activities conducted in a non-professional context or without the necessary skills and safety precautions that may lead to serious injury or death for the user or the public. This includes amateur stunts or dangerous challenges.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that shows the potentially inappropriate use of dangerous tools or objects
• Content that depicts dangerous driving behavior
• Content that depicts or promotes ingesting substances that are not meant for consumption and could lead to severe harm
• Content that describes or provides instructional detail on how to perform a dangerous activity
• Dangerous games, dares, challenges, or stunts that might lead to injury or property damage Suicide, self-harm, and disordered eating

We care deeply about the health and well-being of the individuals who make up our community. We do not allow content depicting, promoting, normalizing, or glorifying activities that could lead to suicide, self-harm, or disordered eating. However, we do support members of our community sharing their personal experiences with these issues in a safe way to raise awareness and find community support. We also encourage individuals who are struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, or who know someone is seriously considering suicide, to immediately contact local emergency services. In the event that our intervention could help a user who may be at risk of harming themselves, BuzzTender may also alert local emergency services.

Suicide and self-harm

We remove content that depicts suicide, involves suicidal ideation, or that might encourage suicidal or self-injurious behavior. We also remove content that depicts attempted suicide or behavior likely to lead to self-inflicted death. We prohibit any form of content that promotes, normalizes, or glorifies suicide, provides instructions for suicide, or posts that portray a suicide as heroic or honorable. Circumstances that involve any instance of a threat of real-world harm to human life that is specific, credible, and imminent may be reported to law enforcement authorities.

Content that encourages or promotes suicide or self-harm hoaxes are also not allowed. This includes alarming warnings that could cause panic and widespread harm. We will remove such warnings, while allowing content that seeks to dispel panic and promote accurate information about such hoaxes.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies suicide or self-harm
• Content that provides instructions for suicide or how to engage in self-harm
• Suicide or self-harm games, dares, challenges, pacts, or hoaxes

Disordered eating

Content that promotes unhealthy eating behaviors or habits that are likely to cause adverse health outcomes is not allowed on the platform. This includes content expressing desire for an eating disorder, sharing tips or coaching on disordered eating, and participation in unhealthy body measurement challenges.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies disordered eating
• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies any dangerous weight loss behaviors associated with disordered eating

Adult nudity and sexual activities

We strive to create a platform that feels welcoming and safe. We do not allow nudity, pornography, or sexually explicit content on our platform. We also prohibit content depicting or supporting non-consensual sexual acts, the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery, and adult sexual solicitation.

Sexual exploitation

Sexual exploitation is defined as any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, power, or trust for sexual purposes, including profiting monetarily, socially, or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. We do not permit sexually exploitative content.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that depicts, solicits, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies non-consensual sexual acts or non-consensual touching, including rape and sexual assault
• Content that depicts, solicits, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies the sharing of non-consensual intimate imagery, including sexual images that are taken, created, or shared without consent
• Content that depicts, promotes, normalizes, or glorifies sexual violence
• Content that depicts, promotes, or glorifies sexual solicitation, including offering or asking for sexual partners, sexual chats or imagery, sexual services, premium sexual content, or sex sex-scamming

Nudity and sexual activity involving adults

Nudity and sexual activity include content that is overtly revealing of breasts, genitals, anus, or buttocks, or behaviors that mimic, imply, or display sex acts. We do not allow depictions, including digitally created or manipulated content, of nudity or sexual activity. We are mindful that some content may be offensive or culturally inappropriate in certain regions or may not be suitable for users of all ages.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that explicitly or implicitly depicts sexual activities including penetrative and non-penetrative sex, oral sex, or erotic kissing
• Content that depicts sexual arousal or sexual stimulation
• Content that depicts a sexual fetish
• Content that depicts genitals, buttocks, the pubic region, or female nipples
• Content that contains sexually explicit language for sexual gratification

Bullying and harassment

We believe in an inclusive community and individual expression without fear of abuse. We do not tolerate members of our community being shamed, bullied, or harassed. Abusive content or behavior can cause severe psychological distress and will be removed from our platform.

Abusive behavior

We remove expressions of abuse, including threats or degrading statements intended to mock, humiliate, embarrass, intimidate, or hurt an individual. This prohibition extends to the use of BuzzTender features. To enable expression about matters of public interest, critical comments of public figures may be allowed; however, serious abusive behavior against public figures is prohibited.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that insults another individual, or disparages an individual on the basis of attributes such as intellect, appearance, personality traits, or hygiene
• Content that encourages coordinated harassment
• Content that disparages victims of violent tragedies
• Content that uses BuzzTender interactive features (e.g., duet) to degrade others
• Content that depicts willful harm or intimidation, such as cyberstalking or trolling
• Content that wishes death, serious disease, or other serious harm on an individual

Sexual harassment

Sexual harassment involves unwanted or inappropriate sexual behavior directed at another individual. We do not allow content that glorifies, normalizes or promotes sexual harassment, regardless of the user's intent.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that attempts to make unwanted sexual contact
• Content that disparages another person’s sexual activity
• Content that simulates sexual activity with another person, either verbally, in text (including emoji’s), or through the use of any in-app features
• Content that alters or morphs an image of another individual to portray or imply sexual suggestiveness or engagement in sexual activity
• Content that reveals, or threatens to reveal, details of a person's private sexual life, including digital content, sexual history, and names of previous sexual partners
• Content that exposes, or threatens to expose, a person's sexual orientation without their consent

Threats of hacking, doxing, and blackmail

Threatening to hack or dox with an intent to harass or blackmail another individual can cause serious emotional distress and other offline harm. We define doxing as the act of collecting and publishing personal data or personally identifiable information (PII) for malicious purposes. We consider these online behaviors as forms of abuse and do not allow them on our platform.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that threatens to reveal personal data or personally identifiable information (PII), including residential address, private email address, private phone number, bank statement, social security number, or passport number
• Content that threatens to blackmail an individual or to hack an individual's account
• Content that incites or encourages others to hack or reveal another person's account, personal data, or personally identifiable information (PII)
• An individual's account, personal data, or personally identifiable information to encourage others to abuse, troll, or harass that individual

Hateful behavior

BuzzTender is a diverse and inclusive community that has no tolerance for discrimination. We do not permit content that contains hate speech or involves hateful behavior, and we remove it from our platform. We ban accounts and/or users that engage in severe or multiple hate speech violations or that are associated with hate speech off the BuzzTender platform.

Attacks and slurs on the basis of protected attributes

We define hate speech or behavior as content that attacks, threatens, incites violence against, or otherwise dehumanizes an individual or a group on the basis of the following protected attributes:

Race

Ethnicity

National origin

Religion

Caste

Sexual orientation

Sex

Gender

Gender identity

Serious disease

Disability

Immigration status

Slurs are defined as derogatory terms that are intended to disparage groups or individuals based on any protected attributes listed above. To minimize the spread of egregiously offensive terms, we remove all slurs from our platform, unless the terms are appropriated, used self-referentially (i.e., by members of the protected group), or used in a way that does not disparage (e.g., educational context).

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content claiming individuals or groups with protected attributes are physically, mentally, or morally inferior or referring to them as criminals, animals, inanimate objects, or other non-human entities  
• Content promoting or justifying violence, exclusion, segregation, or discrimination against them
• Content that includes the use of non-self-referential slurs
• Content that targets transgender or non-binary individuals through misgendering or dead naming
• Content that depicts harm inflicted upon an individual or a group on the basis of a protected attribute

Hateful ideology

Hateful ideologies are those that demonstrate clear hostility toward people because of their protected attributes. Hateful ideologies are incompatible with the inclusive and supportive community that our platform provides and we remove content that promotes them.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that praises, promotes, glorifies, or supports any hateful ideology (e.g., white supremacy, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ, antisemitism)
• Content that contains names, symbols, logos, flags, slogans, uniforms, gestures, salutes, illustrations, portraits, songs, music, lyrics, or other objects related to a hateful ideology
• Content that promotes, supports, or advertises conversion therapy or related program
• Content that denies well-documented and violent events have taken place affecting groups with protected attributes (e.g., Holocaust denial)
• Claims of supremacy over a group of people with reference to other protected attributes
• Conspiracy theories used to justify hateful ideologies

Violent Extremism

We take a firm stance against enabling violence on or off BuzzTender. We do not allow people to use our platform to threaten or incite violence, or to promote violent extremist organizations, individuals, or acts. When there is a threat to public safety or an account is used to promote or glorify off-platform violence, we ban the account. When warranted, we will report threats to relevant legal authorities. To effectively protect our community, we may consider off-platform behavior to identify violent extremist organizations and individuals on our platform. If we find such organizations or individuals, we will ban their accounts.

Threats and incitement to violence

We consider incitement to violence as advocating for, directing, or encouraging other people to commit violence. We do not allow threats of violence or incitement to violence on our platform that may result in serious physical harm.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Statements of intent to inflict physical injuries on an individual or a group
• Statements or imagery that encourage others to commit or that advocate for violence
• Conditional or aspirational statements that encourage other people to commit violence
• Calls to bring weapons to a location with the intent to intimidate or threaten an individual or group with violence
• Instructions on how to make or use weapons that may incite violence

Violent extremist organizations and individuals

We do not allow organizations or individuals on our platform who promote or engage in violence, including terrorist organizations, organized hate groups, criminal organizations, and other non-state armed groups that target civilians.

Terrorist organizations

Terrorists and terrorist organizations are non-state actors that threaten violence, use violence, and/or commit serious crimes (such as crimes against humanity) against civilian populations in pursuit of political, religious, ethnic, or ideological objectives.

Organized hate groups

We use the term “organized hate” to refer to those individuals and organizations who attack people based on protected attributes, such as race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender, gender identity, or immigration status. We consider attacks to include actions that incite violence or hatred, that aim to dehumanize individuals or groups, or that embrace a hateful ideology.

Criminal organizations

Criminal organizations are transnational, national, or local groups that have engaged in serious crimes, including violent crimes (e.g., homicide, rape, robbery, assault), trafficking (e.g., human, organ, drug, weapons), kidnapping, financial crimes (e.g., extortion, blackmail, fraud, money laundering), or cybercrime.

Do not post, upload, stream, or share:

• Content that praises, promotes, glorifies, or supports violent acts or extremist organizations or individuals
• Content that encourages participation in, or intends to recruit individuals to, violent extremist organizations
• Content with names, symbols, logos, flags, slogans, uniforms, gestures, salutes, illustrations, portraits, songs, music, lyrics, or other objects meant to represent violent extremist organizations or individuals