CSAE Prevention & Mitigation Standards

Last Updated: 2025

1. Policy Statement

SINNTS enforces a zero-tolerance policy for Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE). We comply with:

  • Nigerian Laws: Child Rights Act 2003, Cybercrimes Act 2015.
  • Global Standards: COPPA (US), GDPR (EU), and NCMEC reporting guidelines.
  • Proactive Safeguards: Age-gating, Wallet-based financial restrictions (18+), and prioritized manual moderation.

2. Age & Access Controls

a. Strict Age Verification

  • All Users: Must confirm they are 13+ during signup. Accounts for under-13s are terminated.
  • Wallet (18+ Only):
    1. Required for financial actions (gifting, contests, Vstore purchases).
    2. Verified via BVN (Nigeria's legal age threshold).
  • Premium Accounts:
    1. Restricted to Wallet holders (18+).
    2. Grants access to Publications, Vstore, and paid Contests.

b. Minor Protections (Under 18)

  • Content Creation:
    1. Cannot publish public content without parental consent (email/SMS verification).
    2. Comments on minor-authored posts are disabled by default.
  • Financial Barriers:
    1. No Wallet = No gifting, contests, or monetization.
    2. Vstore purchases blocked for age-restricted items.

3. Feature-Specific Safeguards

FeatureProtections
Timeline/Posts
  • Immediate manual review of reported content
  • Minors' posts default to followers-only
Chat
  • All first messages require acceptance
  • Minors cannot receive unsolicited messages
Contests
  • 18+ Wallet verification required
  • Manual screening of entries/gifts
V_store
  • Age-gated purchases (e.g., no mature content for minors)
Stories
  • Minors' stories hidden from public search

4. Detection & Reporting

a. User-Driven Moderation

  • In-App Reporting:
    1. “Report“ button on all content/profiles.
    2. CSAE reports reviewed within 1 hour; confirmed violations result in permanent bans.
  • Law Enforcement Collaboration:
    1. Report to Nigeria Cybercrime Unit + NCMEC report.cybertip.org.
    2. Preserve evidence (chats, transaction logs) for 90 days.

b. Proactive Measures

  • High-Risk Content: Moderators manually review:
    1. Trending posts.
    2. Contest entries.
    3. Wallet-linked transactions.

5. User Education

a. Current Efforts

  • Social Media Campaigns:
    1. Tutorials on Instagram/TikTok about reporting tools and privacy settings.
  • FAQ Section:
    1. Guides for minors on avoiding grooming FAQ

b. Planned (2025)

  • In-App Tutorials: Interactive videos on recognizing exploitation.
  • Parental Hub: Resources for monitoring minor accounts.

6. Technical Roadmap

TimelineAction Item
Q2 2025Pilot AI age estimation for profile photos.
Q3 2025Integrate PhotoDNA to scan all uploads.
Q3 2025Partner with NIMC for NIN-based age verification.

7. Legal Compliance

a. Nigeria:

  • NDPR Compliance: Age verification and data protection for minors.
  • NCC Collaboration: Takedown requests addressed within 24 hours.

b. Global:

  • COPPA: Terminate under-13 accounts.
  • Transparency Reports: Annual CSAE metrics published.

8. Contact & Escalation