Vela Child Safety Standards
Policy Against Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE)
Vela (“Vela”, “we”, “us”) is operated by ZEPHYR PULSE PTE. LTD. We are committed to keeping our community safe and have zero tolerance for child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). These standards explain how we prohibit, prevent, detect, and respond to CSAE on Vela, consistent with Google Play’s Child Safety Standards policy and applicable law.
1. Zero-tolerance commitment
We strictly prohibit any content or behavior that sexually abuses or exploits a minor (any person under the age of 18). Violations result in immediate content removal, permanent account termination, and reporting to the relevant authorities.
2. What we prohibit
CSAE and CSAM include, but are not limited to:
- CSAM — any image, video, audio, or text that depicts, describes, or promotes the sexual abuse or sexualization of a minor.
- Grooming — building trust or a relationship with a minor to enable sexual abuse or exploitation, online or offline.
- Sextortion — threatening or blackmailing a minor using real or claimed sexual content.
- Solicitation — requesting, offering, or arranging sexual acts or sexual content involving a minor.
- Trafficking — recruiting, transporting, or exploiting a minor for sexual purposes.
- Sexualization of minors — any other content or behavior that sexualizes a child, including for an adult’s benefit.
3. How we prevent and reduce risk
- Minimum age — Users must be at least 16 years old to use Vela.
- Virtual-identity design — Vela does not allow real-face profile photos. Users interact through virtual avatars, reducing appearance-based targeting.
- Moderation — We combine automated detection with human review to identify harmful content and behavior.
- Community protections — Our matching, interaction, and reporting flows are designed to reduce harassment and protect more vulnerable users.
4. In-app reporting
Every user can report content, messages, profiles, or behavior directly within the app, and can block other users. Reports involving potential CSAE/CSAM are prioritized for urgent review.
5. How we respond
When CSAE/CSAM is identified or reported, we:
- promptly remove the offending content;
- suspend or permanently ban the responsible account;
- preserve relevant evidence as required by law; and
- report confirmed CSAM to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) and/or the appropriate local authorities.
6. Legal compliance
We comply with applicable child safety laws in the markets where Vela operates, including the Republic of the Philippines’ Republic Act No. 11930 (the Anti-OSAEC and Anti-CSAEM Act of 2022). We monitor and adapt to evolving child safety regulations.
7. Child safety point of contact
A designated representative is available to receive and act on child safety notifications, including notifications from Google Play:
Contact: feedback@velavoy.com
8. Updates
We review and update these standards as our product and the regulatory environment evolve.