Safety Standards

Our Commitment to Safety

At Kotan, the safety of our users is our highest priority. We are committed to maintaining a safe platform free from any form of abuse, exploitation, or harmful content. This document outlines our standards and policies specifically addressing child safety and our zero-tolerance approach to Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE).

1. Zero Tolerance Policy for CSAE

This includes, but is not limited to:

• Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) of any kind
• Sexual solicitation or grooming of minors
• Sharing, requesting, or distributing exploitative content involving minors
• Any content that sexualizes minors, including AI-generated or illustrated material
• Sextortion or blackmail involving minors
• Human trafficking involving minors
• Any attempts to contact minors for sexual purposes
• Sharing personal information of minors with intent to exploit

2. Age Requirements and Verification

Kotan is designed exclusively for university students and implements multiple safeguards to prevent minors from accessing the platform:

• Minimum Age Requirement: Users must be at least 17 years old
• University Email Verification: All users must verify their identity using a valid university email address (.edu or equivalent institutional domain)
• Institutional Affiliation: Users must be current students, faculty, or staff of a supported university
• Terms Acceptance: Users must explicitly confirm they meet age requirements during registration

Accounts found to belong to users under the minimum age will be immediately suspended and all associated data will be deleted.

3. Content Moderation and Detection

3.1 Proactive Detection

We employ multiple layers of content moderation to detect and prevent CSAE:

• Automated scanning of uploaded images and media
• Keyword and pattern detection for concerning content
• Behavioral analysis to identify grooming patterns
• Regular audits of platform content and user reports

3.2 Human Review

Our trained moderation team reviews:

• All flagged content from automated systems
• User reports related to safety concerns
• Suspicious account activity patterns
• Appeals and escalated cases

3.3 Response Time

Reports involving potential CSAE are treated as highest priority and are reviewed within 24 hours. Content confirmed as CSAE is removed immediately upon detection.

4. Reporting Mechanisms

4.1 In-App Reporting

Users can report concerning content or behavior directly within the app:

• Tap the report button on any post, comment, or profile
• Select the appropriate violation category
• Provide additional details if needed
• Reports are anonymous and confidential

4.2 Direct Safety Contact

4.3 What to Include in a Report

• Description of the concerning content or behavior
• Username or profile of the account involved
• Screenshots if safely obtainable
• Any relevant timestamps or context

5. Enforcement Actions

When CSAE content or behavior is confirmed, we take immediate action:

6. Cooperation with Authorities

Kotan is committed to working with law enforcement and child protection organizations to combat CSAE:

• NCMEC Reporting: We report all confirmed CSAM to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline as required by law
• Law Enforcement Cooperation: We respond promptly to valid legal requests and cooperate fully with investigations
• Local Authorities: We report to relevant Malaysian authorities including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
• Evidence Preservation: We preserve relevant data and evidence for law enforcement investigations

Users who violate CSAE policies may face criminal prosecution in addition to platform enforcement actions.

7. Staff Training and Accountability

Our team is trained and equipped to handle child safety matters:

• All moderation staff receive specialized training on identifying CSAE
• Regular training updates on emerging threats and tactics
• Clear escalation procedures for CSAE reports
• Mental health support for staff handling sensitive content
• Background checks for employees with access to user data

8. User Education

We believe in empowering our users to help maintain a safe community:

• Clear community guidelines accessible to all users
• Information on recognizing and reporting suspicious behavior
• Resources for users who may have experienced exploitation
• Guidance on safe online interactions

9. External Resources

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact these organizations:

10. Policy Updates

We continuously review and update our safety standards to address emerging threats and align with best practices. Significant changes to this policy will be communicated to users and reflected in the "Last Updated" date above.

11. Contact Information