POV — Content Moderation Policy
Last Updated: May 16, 2026
POV Media Group ("POV," "we," "us") hosts user-generated video and photo content tied to location-based bounties. This policy describes what we prohibit, how users can report problems, and how we enforce our rules. It supplements our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Operational owner: Product (policy UX, reporting flows, moderator tooling). Legal review: General Counsel (CSAM, privacy, copyright, appeals).
1. Scope
This policy applies to:
- Bounties (requests for content)
- Submissions (fulfillments)
- User profiles, comments, and other UGC surfaced in the app
- Automated pre-publish checks (e.g.,
moderation_ruleson bounty text)
We moderate in good faith. We may remove or restrict content, suspend accounts, or report to authorities as described below. We do not guarantee that every violation will be detected before publication.
2. Zero tolerance: child sexual abuse material (CSAM)
CSAM is prohibited. We do not allow content that sexualizes minors or constitutes child sexual abuse material under applicable law.
Reporting (users): Use the in-app Report child safety concern control on the relevant bounty or submission—not the general report flow. Do not share, download, re-upload, or distribute suspected CSAM.
Our response:
- Quarantine reported content (hidden from public surfaces while reviewed)
- Preserve evidence as required by law
- Report apparent CSAM to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) via the CyberTipline as soon as reasonably possible
- Notify law enforcement when appropriate
- Restrict access to preserved materials to authorized personnel
See Privacy Policy §5.5 and internal runbook docs/NCMEC_CYBERTIPLINE_RUNBOOK.md. Legal requirement: 18 U.S.C. § 2258A (U.S. electronic service providers).
Launch gate: Public launch requires a working NCMEC reporting path, trained CyberTipline submitter(s), and applied database migrations for ncmec_cases and related workflows.
3. Prohibited content (non-exhaustive)
In addition to CSAM (§2), users must not post content that:
| Category | Examples | Typical action |
|---|---|---|
| Violence & threats | Graphic violence intended to shock; credible threats of harm; footage of assaults staged for entertainment | Remove; warn or suspend; law enforcement if credible threat |
| Harassment & bullying | Targeted abuse, slurs, intimidation, coordinated pile-ons | Remove; warn; suspend on repeat |
| Doxxing & privacy | Sharing private addresses, phone numbers, financial or medical info without consent; stalking or tracking individuals | Remove; suspend; preserve for legal process |
| Illegal activity | Content primarily depicting serious crimes (e.g., drug trafficking, human trafficking) where publication violates law or endangers victims | Remove; report if required |
| Copyright | Unauthorized use of third-party music, video, or other protected works | Remove per DMCA Policy; repeat-infringer policy |
| Deceptive & fraudulent | Misleading bounty descriptions; deepfakes presented as real without disclosure; scams | Remove; suspend; payment holds |
| Sexual content | Non-consensual intimate imagery; content violating applicable obscenity or platform rules | Remove; suspend |
| Hate & extremism | Content that attacks people based on protected characteristics or promotes violent extremism | Remove; suspend |
| Self-harm | Content encouraging suicide or self-injury | Remove; resources where appropriate |
Bounty text is also screened against automated moderation_rules (categories such as privacy, safety, drugs). Creators must still comply with this policy for video and images, which may require human review.
4. Location, minors, and sensitive places
- Public spaces: Bounties should target publicly observable activity; private interiors and non-consensual surveillance are prohibited (see Terms §5.2).
- Minors: POV is 18+ at signup. Content that sexualizes minors is CSAM (§2). Incidental presence of minors in otherwise lawful public footage may be restricted or removed when it creates safety or privacy risk.
- Schools, hospitals, places of worship: Extra scrutiny; may be rejected at bounty creation or removed after review.
5. Reporting flows
| Report type | In-app entry | Routed to |
|---|---|---|
| Child safety / CSAM | Report child safety concern | NCMEC workflow (report_csam_content, ncmec_cases) |
| General (harassment, spam, other) | General report on bounty/submission | bounty_reports queue for moderator review |
| Copyright | DMCA notice to designated agent | Legal / DMCA process (dmca-policy.md) |
We may disable reporting or appeals for accounts involved in abuse of the report system.
6. Enforcement: strikes, suspension, and bans
We use a graduated enforcement model. Severity and context determine the outcome—not every violation receives the same strike count.
| Level | Examples | Typical measures |
|---|---|---|
| Warning | First-time minor guideline breach | Notice; content removed |
| Restriction | Repeat minor issues or single moderate violation | Temporary posting limits; payout hold |
| Suspension | Serious or repeated violations | Account frozen for a set period |
| Permanent ban | CSAM, credible threats, fraud, repeat copyright infringement, egregious harassment | Account terminated; forfeiture of access; may retain records per data retention |
Repeat infringers (copyright): Accounts subject to multiple valid DMCA notices may be terminated per our DMCA policy.
Payment holds: We may withhold payouts pending investigation of fraud, CSAM, or copyright disputes.
7. Appeals
Users who believe we made an error may appeal enforcement actions that suspend or terminate an account, or remove content for policy (not copyright) reasons.
Appeals process (CEO to operationalize before scale):
- Submit appeal via [support/legal contact — TBD] within 14 days of the decision notice
- Include account email, content ID(s), and explanation
- We review and respond within a reasonable period (target: 30 days)
- Our decision after appeal is final for platform purposes; legal rights under GDPR/CCPA are separate (see Privacy Policy)
We do not reinstate content that constitutes CSAM or that we have reported to NCMEC.
8. Section 230 and transparency
We are a platform for user-generated content. We act in good faith to restrict objectionable material. This policy is not a promise to monitor all content pre-publication. Government or legal requests are handled per applicable law and our Privacy Policy.
9. Policy updates
We may update this policy. Material changes will be reflected in the "Last Updated" date and, where required, notified in-app or by email. Continued use after notice constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Related documents
- Terms of Service — User conduct and licensing
- Privacy Policy — Data handling, NCMEC, retention
- DMCA Policy — Copyright complaints
- Data Retention Schedule — How long we keep reports and quarantined content
CEO decisions needed: Appeal contact channel; whether to publish strike counts to users; moderator staffing for 24/7 CSAM triage at scale.