Direct Messaging Safety Policy

1. Purpose & Safety Objectives

Direct messaging on Friendium is designed to enable meaningful, respectful, and consensual communication between real individuals. This policy exists to protect users from harassment, abuse, coercion, fraud, unwanted contact, and other forms of harm that may occur in private communication channels.

Friendium applies higher safety standards to direct messaging due to its private nature and increased risk of exploitation, particularly for minors, vulnerable users, and individuals experiencing harassment.

2. Scope of Application

This policy applies to:

• Private one-to-one messages
• Group messages and conversation threads
• Message requests and message invitations
• Media, links, files, emojis, and reactions sent via messages
• Voice notes, calls, or future messaging features (if enabled)

3. Eligibility to Use Direct Messaging

Access to direct messaging may depend on:

• Account age and verification status
• Compliance with Community Standards
• Absence of recent enforcement actions
• Recipient privacy and message settings

Friendium reserves the right to restrict or disable messaging capabilities for accounts that pose safety or integrity risks.

4. Consent & Mutual Expectations

Direct messaging must be consensual. Users are expected to respect boundaries and discontinue communication when requested.

• Repeated unwanted messages may constitute harassment
• Consent may be withdrawn at any time
• Blocking or muting must be respected immediately

5. Message Requests & Filtering

Friendium may place messages from non-connections into a message request inbox. Users may:

• Accept, decline, or ignore message requests
• Restrict who can send message requests
• Automatically filter suspected spam or abuse

6. Prohibited Conduct in Messages

The following behavior is strictly prohibited in direct messages:

• Harassment, intimidation, or threats
• Hate speech or discriminatory abuse
• Sexual exploitation, grooming, or coercion
• Requests for explicit images or personal data
• Fraud, scams, impersonation, or phishing
• Distribution of malware or harmful links

7. Child Safety & Minor Protections

Friendium applies enhanced protections for minors:

• Restricted messaging from unknown adults
• Automated detection of grooming behaviors
• Mandatory reporting of suspected child exploitation
• Immediate account suspension where required

8. Media, Links & Attachments

Media shared via messages is subject to automated scanning and safety checks. Friendium may:

• Block known malicious URLs
• Restrict file types
• Flag explicit or harmful content
• Prevent forwarding of unsafe material

9. Spam, Automation & Bulk Messaging

Automated, bulk, or unsolicited messaging is prohibited unless explicitly authorized. Indicators of spam include:

• High-volume identical messages
• Commercial solicitation without consent
• Link farming or referral abuse
• Bot-driven outreach

10. Message Rate Limits

Friendium enforces message rate limits to prevent abuse. Limits may vary based on:

• Account age
• Connection status
• Previous enforcement history
• Behavioral trust signals

11. Reporting Messages

Users can report messages directly from the conversation interface. Reports may include:

• Entire conversation threads
• Specific messages or attachments
• Associated profiles

12. Review & Enforcement Process

Reported messages are reviewed by Friendium’s Trust & Safety systems, which may involve:

• Automated analysis
• Human moderation review
• Pattern-based risk assessment

13. Enforcement Actions

Violations of this policy may result in:

• Message warnings
• Temporary messaging restrictions
• Account suspensions
• Permanent account termination
• Referral to law enforcement when required

14. Privacy & Confidentiality

Friendium respects user privacy. Message content is accessed only:

• When reported by a user
• When required by law
• When necessary to prevent harm

15. Data Retention

Message data is retained in accordance with Friendium’s Data Retention Policy and applicable legal obligations.

16. User Controls

Users may:

• Disable messaging entirely
• Restrict messages to connections only
• Block specific users
• Mute conversations

17. Abuse of Messaging Features

Attempts to evade messaging restrictions or harass users across multiple accounts will be treated as serious violations.

18. Legal & Regulatory Cooperation

Friendium cooperates with lawful requests related to messaging content in accordance with the Law Enforcement Request Guide and applicable privacy laws.

19. Policy Evolution

This policy may be updated as messaging features evolve, new risks emerge, or legal requirements change.

20. Contact & Support

Safety & Abuse Reporting: safety@friendium.com
Privacy Office: privacy@friendium.com
User Support: support@friendium.com