UCapital's standard against child sexual abuse and exploitation

Background and Definitions

Protecting children from abuse, sexual exploitation, and child pornography is a fundamental responsibility of UCapital. Abuse of any form is categorically prohibited on our platform, and anyone who violates this rule will be subject to immediate action. To ensure a safe environment, it is essential to clearly understand what is meant by these terms and how they can manifest within a platform.

The term abuse refers to any behavior that forces a child to participate in sexual activities against his or her will. This can include manipulation, coercion, or other forms of exploitation that violate the child's dignity and rights.

Sexual exploitation, on the other hand, occurs when a child is involved in sexual activities for personal gain or advantage, as is the case with the production or distribution of sexually explicit content.

Finally, child pornography represents visual content, such as images or videos, that depict minors engaged in real or simulated sexually explicit activities or depicting a minor's genitals for sexual purposes.

This procedure complies with Google Play guidelines and establishes operational standards for preventing, identifying, and addressing any form of child abuse or exploitation within the UCapital platform

  • Platform design requirements
    • Age limits:
      • UCapital requires a minimum age of 16 to register and use the platform.
    • Safe profiles:
      • The personal information visible on Users's profiles is limited to that requested during registration and, subsequently, upon completion of their personal area, provided voluntarily by Users. It is not necessary for Users to post or upload such additional personal information, and it is up to individual Users to choose whether to include sensitive information on their profile. Users are urged not to post or add personal information to their profile that they do not wish to make publicly available. This information is made explicit and available in the privacy policy.
      • Granular privacy controls are offered to prevent unauthorized viewing of personal data.
  • Abuse prevention
    • Moderation and monitoring:
      • In line with the Technology Coalition's best practices, UCapital has 24/7 ac've moderation through human moderators.
      • Suspicious, inappropriate, or potentially harmful content is identified and removed promptly through the use of advanced technological solutions to detect Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (OCSEA).
    • Feedback mechanisms in app:
      • Users can easily block and report suspicious or abusive behavior through an intuitive interface built into the platform. Blocking and reporting options are available on every user profile, message, and content posted.
      • All reports received are analyzed by a dedicated team of moderators, supported by advanced automatic detection technologies to classify violations.
      • To ensure transparency, UCapital provides notifications to users who report, updating them on the status of their report.
      • A function is available to provide additional details or evidence to support reporting, such as screenshots or detailed descriptions of incidents.
      • The most serious cases, such as child sexual exploitation content, are immediately reported to the relevant authorities, in accordance with local and international regulations.
      • UCapital collects anonymized data on reports to continuously improve its safety and prevention systems.
      • All reports are handled with the highest priority and professionalism.
    • User education:
      • Following the Technology Coalition's guidelines, users receive information on how to recognize and report suspicious activity within this document.
  • Collaboration with Authorities:
    • Mandatory reporting:
      • UCapital complies with legal obligations to report to the competent authorities in case of suspicious activities involving minors. These obligations are governed in Italy by regulations such as Law 172/2012, which implements the Lanzarote Convention, and the Italian Penal Code (articles 600-bis et seq.), which regulate crimes of sexual exploitation and abuse of minors.
    • Cooperation:
      • UCapital maintains ac've relationships with law enforcement agencies and organizations specializing in child protection, in accordance with Italian and European regulations.
    • Management of child pornography material:
      • Removal of content: Content identified as child pornography is promptly removed from the platform, in accordance with Article 14 of Legislative Decree 70/2003.
      • Account Closure: Accounts of users responsible for sharing or disseminating child pornography are immediately suspended and subsequently closed.
      • Reporting to authorities: UCapital actively collaborates with the National Center for Combating Online Child Pornography (CNCPO) of the Postal Police, reporting detected incidents.
      • Collaboration with specialized organizations: The platform participates in initiatives such as Save the Children Italy's Stop-it project, allowing users to anonymously report child pornography directly from this document. The link to make reports is available qui.
      • Prohibited behaviors: The following are prohibited:
        • The posting, sharing or downloading of sexually explicit or suggestive images and videos involving minors (child sexual abuse material - CSAM, nude images of real or non-real minors, sexual images of real or non-real minors).
        • Content that constitutes or facilitates inappropriate interactions with minors and attempts to contact minors (grooming).
        • Content with which attempts are made to exploit real minors (such as acts of extortion, threats to share content or conversation).
        • The creation of fake profiles with the intent to deceive or approach minors.
        • Any type of comment, message or behavior that could be considered harassment or abuse of a minor.
        • Participation in groups or communities that promote the sexual exploitation or abuse of minors.

    • All of these actions are implemented in compliance with Article 34 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states, “Children shall be protected against all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse. To this end, States particularly undertake to take all appropriate measures to prevent (a) the inducement or coercion of a child to participate in unlawful sexual activities; (b) the exploitation of children for prostitution or other unlawful sexual practices; and (c) the exploitation of children in pornographic performances or materials.” and commits States and organizations to prevent and combat the sexual exploitation of children.

  • Advanced protection technologies:
    • Automatic filters:
      • UCapital uses advanced filters to identify suspicious content in chats, images and videos.
    • Artificial intelligence tools:
      • In accordance with Technology Coalition recommendations, AI tools are employed to detect predatory behavior or activities indicative of grooming.
    • Blacklist:
      • UCapital maintains an updated blacklist of accounts and IPs linked to abusive behavior, for indoor use only. This list is not published in any way.
  • Training and internal support
    • Staff training:
      • Employees and moderators receive regular training on how to recognize and manage potentially harmful content and behavior. Trainings include hands-on simulations, updates on local and international regulations, and specific instruction on how to use advanced technological tools to detect and manage cases of abuse.
      • UCapital collaborates with outside organizations specializing in child protection to provide workshops and seminars for staff to ensure that their level of expertise is always up-to-date.
      • The training also covers aspects of empathic communication and psychological support for victims, providing moderators with the skills needed to handle complex situations with sensitivity.
      • Regular refresher programs are in place to ensure that all staff are aware of the latest online threats and best practices for countering them.
    • Support for victims:
      • Tools and resources are provided to help abused users, including direct contact with support organizations such as Telefono Azzurro, Save the Children Italy and local associations specializing in child protection.
      • UCapital collaborates with psychological support centers to ensure professional help for victims who request it.
      • Through partnerships with entities such as ECPAT International and INHOPE, UCapital facilitates the reporting and processing of the most complex cases, while also providing a global safety net.
      • Tools and resources are provided to help abused users, including direct contacts with support organizations.

Conclusion

The adoption and strict enforcement of this procedure is a key step in ensuring a safe online environment for all users and, in particular, in protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. UCapital devotes significant resources, both technological and human, to combat all forms of online child exploitation, actively collaborating with authorities and international organizations. This ongoing commitment reflects our mission to create a safe and responsible platform for all.

Last Updated: 22/01/2025