Child safety

Child safety

Bitsitter connects parents with adult babysitters. Children's safety is the premise of the service: this page describes the rules we apply, the data we process and how to report abuse.

An app for adults only

Bitsitter is an application designed exclusively for users aged 18 or over. Accounts belong to adult parents and babysitters: minors cannot register or hold a profile.

We do not knowingly collect personal data directly from anyone under 18. If we become aware that a minor has created an account or provided personal information, the account is deactivated and the data removed.

The app contains no content, services or advertising directed at children.

Data about children is kept to a minimum

Parents can list their children in their profile so that babysitters understand the kind of care needed. This data is deliberately minimal:

• We neither ask for nor display children's names.
• We do not ask for the exact date of birth: we only collect month and year, and other users are shown just an indication of the age.
• Gender is visible only if the parent chooses to declare it.
• The exact location is never shared and we use no maps: other users only see the city of reference and an approximate distance.
• Phone numbers, email addresses and other contact details are not allowed in public descriptions.

Full details of the processing are in the privacy policy.

Zero tolerance for abuse and exploitation

Bitsitter is committed to providing a safe environment for all users, adhering to international standards against child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE/CSAM).

No form of content or behaviour involving child abuse or exploitation is permitted, nor any attempt to contact or groom a minor through the service. Any content that breaches this policy is removed immediately, the responsible account is permanently suspended and the facts are reported to the competent authorities.

Standards we follow

Bitsitter adheres to the standards set by:

• National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)
• UNICEF Guidelines on Child Online Protection
• Google Play — Child Safety Standards and Families Policy Requirements
• Apple App Store Review Guidelines on user-generated content and safety

How we act

• In-app and email reporting: any user can report a profile, an ad or a message.
• Manual review: reports involving minors are prioritised and reviewed by a person, not by automated filters alone.
• Blocking: users can always block another user and stop any contact.
• Inactive accounts deactivated: the community is made of people who are genuinely present and traceable.
• Cooperation with authorities: we provide the competent authorities with the necessary information in the cases provided for by law.

The role of parents and guardians

We encourage parents and legal guardians to monitor minors' use of mobile devices and to report any abuse to us promptly. Please remember that meetings and childcare take place outside the app: choosing the person to entrust your children to, checking references and supervising remain the parent's responsibility.