Community Guardrails

🔐 Sharing of Personal Info

Identifying People

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• If someone is not a public figure, don't talk about them using their full real name or any nicknames.
• Don't make personal attacks aimed at anyone, either public or non-public figure.
• Don't identify a non-public person's location or other personal information by using information specific to them.
• Don't engage in excessive commentary on an individual's physical attributes, character, or personal life.

💭🌮 Food for Thought ⤵

• Public figures are people identified in traditional media and are widely known. As much as possible, personal criticism and commentary about identifiable people should pertain to the role/thing that makes them famous.
• In some settings, it's hard to determine when certain people are considered public figures (like the quarterback of a college football team). In general, we encourage you to err on the side of caution.
• The less public a person is, the less a person should be identified.
• Just because someone is on the internet or TV, this doesn't necessarily make someone a public figure.
• Kind and positive descriptions about people are totally cool as long as the comments are not creepy and do not disclose personal information.

Identifying Children

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Under most circumstances you should not identify, name, or discuss children under the age of 18 on Yik Yak.

💭🍔 Food for Thought ⤵

• Parents are allowed to talk about their own children, but should steer clear of using identifying information.
• It's cool to talk about children who are public figures; just make sure the comments are not offensive or personal in nature.
• Avoid posting if there is any question on whether or not to identify a child.
• Yik Yak will always defend children. If you or your child have been targeted on Yik Yak, please email us directly at advocacy@yikyak.com.

Personal Information

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• In addition to not identifying a person, don't post or share their private information without express authorization and permission.
• Don't post Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter, or other social media handles if they reveal someone's identity.
• Don't yak email addresses that have identifiable personal information.
• Don't mention phone numbers and addresses that are not for public/commercial use.
• In most cases, don't post license plate numbers, social security numbers, or personal information that identifies someone.

💭🍟 Food for Thought ⤵

• You are totally allowed to share addresses, phone numbers, social media accounts, or email addresses that are meant for commercial use as long as you are not encouraging the misuse of this information.

❤️ Bullying, Suicide, Violence and Threats

Bullying/Harassment

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't post anything that could be construed as bullying, abuse, defamation, harassment, stalking, or targeted hate or public humiliation toward other yakkers or people that are easily identified.
• Don't make hurtful jokes, play pranks, or use excessive sarcasm without referencing it as such.
• Don't share gossip or harmful rumors that have no truth without referencing it as such.
• Steer clear of any type of body shaming or the use of hurtful and derogatory names.
• Don't use language that is obscene or vulgar with harmful intent.

💭🍕 Food for Thought ⤵

• Remember that a person being bullied can feel alone, depressed, or friendless. Whether on Yik Yak or elsewhere, be an advocate for anyone being bullied. Reject hate!

Suicide and Self-Injury

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't promote suicide or self-harm and don't seek persuasion to do so.
• Don't encourage anyone to commit suicide or to injure themselves.
• Don't promote group collaboration to self-injure or commit suicide.
• Don't promote eating disorders, cutting, or other forms of self-injury.
• Don't share information or strategies that would assist in self-injury, cutting, eating disorders, or suicide.

💭🍕 Food for Thought ⤵

• If you come across any post that shows imminent danger, contact appropriate emergency personnel first and then report the yak.
• Emotional well-being and prevention of suicide is a Yik Yak community-wide responsibility. Each of us have to work together to promote and protect the mental health of the global herd.
• For more information on mental health, check out our Mental Health Resources.

Bigotry

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• You should never use hate speech or engage in discrimination based on race, age, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or disability.
• Don't share malicious broad statements, unnecessary stereotypes, or insensitive jokes based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or disability.

💭🍣 Food for Thought ⤵

• Discussions of race, age, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, and disability are incredibly personal subjects and should be handled with kindness and sensitivity. Listen and learn.
• Something that may not be offensive to you may be incredibly insensitive or offensive to someone else.

Violence and Threats

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't share overly graphic violent depictions.
• Don't promote or aim to inspire others to engage in physical violence.
• Don't make direct, vague, or veiled violent threats.
• Don't make cyber or cybersecurity threats to damage data, steal data, or disrupt digital life.
• Under most circumstances, don't yak anything that glorifies damage to another person's property.
• Don't promote cruelty to animals.
• Don't use Yik Yak to engage in, recruit or promote terrorism or violent extremism.
• Don't yak offers to buy and sell weapons or the instructions for making weapons.
• Don't use a symbol of a violent organization or extremist groups to indicate affiliation or support.

💭🍣 Food for Thought ⤵

• If your comments are in reference to a video/e-game and not real life, you need to make sure that people understand that.

Criminal Acts

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't scheme up, organize, or participate in anything that is not legal by your federal and local government.

💭🍦 Food for Thought ⤵

• Illegal activities that put people in danger may be reported by Yik Yak to appropriate authorities.

🙈 Derailing Discussion

Spam

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't post something more than once if there's no additional value to the community.

💭🍆 Food for Thought ⤵

• Informative or educational posts that have a consistent rhythm such as schedule updates, weather forecasts or news alerts are allowed as long as they have relevance and value to the community.
• Frequent posts that are similar in content and are consistently downvoted will be reviewed by moderators.

Trolling

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't use Yik Yak to intentionally instigate conflict, hostility, or arguments.
• Don't post with the primary objective of embarrassing, needlessly misleading, or enraging other people.

Promotion

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't yak indicating that you have a relationship with Yik Yak Inc. or that Yik Yak has endorsed you or any products or services, unless this is true and in writing.
• Don't share unauthorized advertisement or promotion materials, 'junk mail', 'chain letters', 'pyramid schemes', or any other form of solicitation with personal or commercial intent for revenue or brand growth.
• Don't promote or attempt to raise funds for violent organizations, hate groups, or illegal goods and services.
• Don't excessively promote your own or other personal or commercial social media accounts.

💭🍗 Food for Thought ⤵

• Content that helps other yakkers like coupons or discount codes is permitted if you are authorized by the discount issuer as an advertiser or if you have no vested interest or involvement in the promotion.

Democratic Interference

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• You can't use Yik Yak to impede or obstruct justice or the participation in an election or other civic responsibility.
• Where applicable, you can't use Yik Yak to intentionally seek to confuse, deceive, or intimidate others in regards to elections or other political procedures that contribute to democracy.

💭🍞 Food for Thought ⤵

• Yik Yak supports the sharing of opinions and partisan discussion surrounding elections or any democratic procedures. You should let others know when information shared is your personal opinion. If you share facts, you should provide sources and references.

Impersonations/Fake News

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't impersonate another person to mislead, confuse, or deceive others.
• Don't impersonate someone in order to threaten someone else.
• Don't knowingly share fake news, unless it's obvious satire.

💭🍎 Food for Thought ⤵

• It's always best when satirical content is identified as such.

Other Languages

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• At this time, all yaks must be posted in the English language.

💭🥕 Food for Thought ⤵

• It's cool to post sentences or words of foreign languages for constructive purposes.
• Content moderation is a vital part of the Yik Yak experience. Our team is currently only equipped to manage English-based content. We want to support more languages as soon as possible!

😬 Sexual Content

Sexual Harassment

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't detail or promote any non-consensual sexual acts or rape.
• Don't engage in sextortion or the threat of publishing sexual content to coerce or blackmail someone.
• Don't threaten to commit or incite others online to participate in sexual violence.
• Don't share lies about someone's sexual behavior.
• Don't damage the reputation of someone by sharing sexual content.
• Don't dox or share private personal information to encourage sexual harassment.

Solicitation for Sex

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't pressure someone to engage in sexual behavior on Yik Yak (or elsewhere).
• Don't ask for or offer sexual favors and expect reciprocation and compensation of that request.
• Don't share or seek contact information for purposes of sex.

💭🥕 Food for Thought ⤵

• You should feel less pressure to consent to any sexual overtures on Yik Yak because real names aren't allowed. For your safety, keep Yik Yak anonymous by not sharing any personal identification.

Pornography

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't share graphic sexual content.
• It's not okay to make 'jokes’ of a sexual nature that are aimed at harassing or offending someone.
• Don't use offensive or discriminatory sexual language and engage in name calling.
• Don't needlessly post sexualized content that brings no value to anyone.
• Steer clear of unnecessarily sexualizing normal discussions with sexual replies.

Sexual Exploitation of Children

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't post, share or link to material that sexually exploits a child.
• Don't praise or promote child sexual exploitation.
• Don't share, incite, or organize others to share sexual fantasies or materials that involve a minor.
• Don't use Yik Yak to engage in sexually explicit conversations with a minor.
• Don't recruit, promote, or associate with a commercial sex act involving a minor.
• Never identify victims, alleged or otherwise, of childhood sexual exploitation by name.

💭🧀 Food for Thought ⤵

• Posts that appear to indicate sexual exploitation of a child may be reported to appropriate authorities.
• Children under 13 are not permitted on Yik Yak.

🤷‍♀️ Other Violations

Buying and Selling Goods or Services

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Never use Yik Yak for buying or selling goods or services that are illegal, including drugs or controlled substances and stolen or counterfeit items.
• Don't promote or endorse, make vague requests for, or facilitate a request for illegal goods or services.

💭🥑 Food for Thought ⤵

• Yik Yak is not a marketplace.
• Conversations about illegal drugs or controlled substances and other illegal selling and buying of goods and services will be monitored in an effort to keep Yik Yak safe for everyone.

App Distortion

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't disrupt or inhibit other people from having a positive experience by distorting comments and feed algorithms, organizing mass upvoting and downvoting, fictitious flagging, or manipulating your location to gain access to other herds.
• Don't create multiple users or attempt to circumvent any content-filtering or moderation.
• Don't use any robot, spider, crawler, scraper or other automated means to access Yik Yak or create an unreasonable or disproportionately large load on the Yik Yak infrastructure.

Unauthorized Content and Third-Party Apps

🚫🙅‍♀️ NOT ALLOWED ⤵

• Don't use or develop any third-party applications that interact with Yik Yak.
• Don't make posts that violate any third-party right, including any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, moral right, privacy right, right of publicity or any other intellectual property or proprietary right.

💭🥑 Food for Thought ⤵

• Yik Yak respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that Yik Yak violated your copyright, please refer to our Terms of Service for detailed instructions.

🎉 What now?

If you notice a yak or comment that violates these guardrails, first downvote it and then report it for moderation by tapping the three dots icon on the yak itself.

If you are concerned with another person's behavior, there are several options that can help alleviate the situation. On Yik Yak, users have the ability to: downvote all posts nearby; flag a post for things like using real names, bullying, threats, or explicit sexual content; block a user; contact Yik Yak via support at hello@yikyak.com and check out our Stay Safe Resources and Mental Health Resources pages.

People may be banned from Yik Yak for violating the Community Guardrails. In most cases, posts we catch that violate the Community Guardrails will simply be removed. In some cases where the category of violation is serious, users will be banned via our one-strike-and-you're-out policy. These serious categories of violation are: using real names inappropriately; using Yik Yak to solicit dangerous goods or services; bullying; threatening; and breaking federal or local laws. Additional one-strike-and-you're-out actions may be taken at our team's discretion.

Heads up — the Community Guardrails can be updated for a smoother and safer ride at any time.

✌️ Team Yik Yak