Upload rules, image records and the VPN notice

What you may upload

Only upload what you have the right to share. No illegal content. Sexually explicit or indecent material is not allowed. Anything sexual involving minors is reported to the authorities. Tag photos and albums SFW or NSFW honestly. Read the Acceptable Use policy and the Terms for the full rules.

The record we keep of image uploads

When you upload an image, as a photo, a picture file or a profile picture, we make a fingerprint of it and keep a record. The record holds the fingerprint, your account, the network address you uploaded from, and the time. We compare the fingerprint with a list of images that are known to be bad. We do not look at what the picture shows, and a new picture nobody has fingerprinted is not caught by this.

• We keep ordinary records for 12 months by default, unless the site settings say otherwise. Records tied to a match, a report, a takedown or a removal are kept longer, as long as the law or an investigation needs.
• If an image matches the list, it is held for a person to review. You will only see that the upload is being reviewed, or that the file cannot be uploaded.
• Held content is hidden from everybody, including you, until it is reviewed. If it was a mistake, a moderator releases it.
• This applies to images on the website. It does not apply to the encrypted vault, end-to-end encrypted chat or encrypted direct messages. We cannot look inside those, so abuse there is handled through reports.

The VPN notice

We ask that you do not upload through a VPN or proxy. If you do, the upload can be refused with the message Please disconnect from your VPN. This applies to uploading files, photos and profile pictures. Browsing, downloading, chat and messages are not affected.

If you see the message, turn the VPN or proxy off, try the upload again, and turn the VPN back on afterwards. Some site administrators and some accounts are exempt. If you are not on a VPN and still see the message, your internet provider's address may be on a block list. Try another network, or send a support ticket if you are a paid member.

What happens when rules are broken

Content is removed. Accounts that repeatedly break the rules, or break them seriously, are suspended or closed.