# Child Safety Standards

This English translation is provided for convenience. The German version at tablemates.social/legal is the legally binding one; in case of any discrepancy, the German text prevails.

**Last updated:** 15 September 2026

TableMates brings adults together for small meetups. This page describes how
we protect children and young people from sexual abuse and sexual
exploitation, what is prohibited on the Platform, how to report violations
and what happens afterwards. The provider is the controller named in the
[Impressum (Legal Notice)](https://tablemates.social/legal/?d=impressum).

## 1. Adults only

- TableMates is exclusively for people aged 18 and over. The year of birth
  is requested at registration, and in the borderline year also the month;
  no account is created for anyone under 18.
- In the Google Play Store, the app is hidden from accounts classified as
  belonging to minors.
- If we learn that an account belongs to a minor, it is suspended and
  deleted.

## 2. What is prohibited

Every form of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children is prohibited
on TableMates. This includes in particular:

- Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in any form, whether as an image, text,
  link or description
- Initiating contact with minors with sexual intent (grooming), including
  via profile texts, meetups or messages
- Sexualization of minors, sexual extortion, human trafficking and any
  solicitation to do so
- Arranging meetups with minors

Violations lead to an immediate, permanent ban and to a report to the
competent authorities. This applies regardless of whether the content
occurred in the app, at a meetup or outside the Platform.

## 3. How to report a violation

**In the app:** Every profile and every meetup can be reported. In the
meetup room via the menu on the person, in the meetup detail view via
"Report". Choose the reason **Minors / child safety** and describe in the
field below what happened. Only moderation sees the report, never the
reported person.

**By email:** to
[contact@tablemates.social](mailto:contact@tablemates.social?subject=Kinderschutz)
with the subject "Kinderschutz" (child safety). Please do not send any
images; a reference to the account, meetup or time is enough.

**Directly to the authorities:** In Germany, the police accept every
criminal complaint (Anzeige), also online via the Internetwache (online
police station) of your federal state. In case of acute danger, dial 110.

## 4. What happens after a report

1. A report with the reason "Minors / child safety" is processed by the
   system immediately and placed with the highest urgency at the very top of
   our queue, ahead of all other reports.
2. The reported account is automatically suspended until a human has
   reviewed the case; the reported meetup and all upcoming meetups of that
   person are cancelled immediately.
3. If the suspicion is confirmed, the ban remains permanent. Evidence needed
   for criminal prosecution is preserved and not deleted for as long as the
   law requires.
4. We report the case to the competent law enforcement authorities and
   cooperate with their requests. Where required by law, we additionally
   report to the bodies designated for this purpose.
5. The reporting person does not learn what has happened to the reported
   account. This protects against retaliation and against abuse of the
   report function.

## 5. How the app prevents this structurally

- There is no free chat between strangers. Before a meetup, only predefined
  building blocks are possible ("Running 10 minutes late"); free text only
  once both sides have connected after a meetup.
- No photo publication, no public profile directory, no search for people.
  Profiles are seen only by connections and by people at the same table.
- Meetups are small (four people by default). Suggested meetups take place
  in public places, and the exact location is only released 24 hours in
  advance; private locations are only possible among existing connections.
- Blocking takes effect immediately and in both directions, without the
  blocked person learning about it.

## 6. Responsible body

For questions about these standards, about reports and about cooperation
with authorities, you can reach the provider at
[contact@tablemates.social](mailto:contact@tablemates.social). Postal
address in the [Impressum (Legal Notice)](https://tablemates.social/legal/?d=impressum).

These standards apply in addition to the
[Terms of Use](https://tablemates.social/legal/?d=nutzungsbedingungen)
and the
[Privacy Policy](https://tablemates.social/legal/?d=datenschutzerklaerung).