Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy

At Unispov, we are committed to creating a safe, secure, and supportive environment for all users, with a specific focus on protecting minors (individuals under the age of 18). We recognize the unique vulnerabilities of younger users and are dedicated to ensuring their welfare, dignity, and rights are respected during all interactions on our platform, including peer-to-peer networking, messaging, and audio/video calls.

This Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy outlines our strict protocols, prohibited conduct, and enforcement measures designed to prevent any form of harm, abuse, or exploitation of minors on Unispov.

1. SCOPE OF THIS POLICY

This policy applies to:

• All Users: Every individual accessing, booking, or providing services through the Unispov Platform, including both Service Providers (Tutors/Mentors) and Customers (Students/Parents).
• All Communications: This policy governs all forms of interaction facilitated by Unispov, including but not limited to:
  • Text-based messages exchanged via the platform's chat feature.
  • Audio and video calls conducted through integrated video conferencing tools (e.g., Google Meet).
  • Screen-sharing sessions conducted during calls.
• Interactions with Minors: This policy is paramount in all interactions where a Customer is under 18, regardless of the Service Provider's age.

3. ADULT USER CONDUCT & GUIDELINES

Service Providers (Tutors and Mentors) who are 18 years or older and are interacting with minors on the platform must adhere to strict professional and ethical standards:

• Maintain Professional Boundaries: All conversations and sessions must remain focused on academic tutoring (for Tutors) or informational university mentorship (for Mentors). Discussions must be professional, factual, and age-appropriate.
• Mandatory Audio-Only with Screen Sharing: For safety and privacy, all calls between adults and minors must be audio-only. Service providers may use screen-sharing to present lecture materials or university resources but must not turn on their video camera. This protocol ensures a safe, focused environment and minimizes risk.
• No Inappropriate Content: Service providers are strictly forbidden from sharing, discussing, or displaying any content that is sexual, violent, extremist, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate for a minor.
• Mandatory Call Recording: Per our Terms of Service, all calls must be recorded and uploaded. This is non-negotiable and serves as a critical safeguarding and quality assurance measure.

4. SAFEGUARDING MEASURES & PLATFORM RULES

• Parental Consent for Minors: As outlined in our Terms of Service (Section 2), all minors must have the explicit, verifiable consent of a parent or legal guardian to create an account and use the platform. The parent or guardian accepts full legal and financial responsibility for the minor's activities.
• Verification and Vetting: All Service Providers (Mentors and Tutors) undergo a rigorous onboarding process, including identity verification (Emirates ID for UAE-based providers), university enrollment and GPA verification, and acknowledgment of our Code of Conduct.
• Mandatory Call Recording & Monitoring: All audio/video sessions are automatically recorded. These recordings are reviewed by the Unispov administration team to ensure compliance with safeguarding policies, prevent cheating, and resolve disputes. Flagged calls are escalated for immediate review.
• In-App Communication Only: All messaging, scheduling, and communication between users must occur within the Unispov platform. This ensures a centralized and monitorable channel for all interactions.
• Trial Period: All new Mentors are required to complete a trial call period (5 calls). This allows Unispov administrators to assess the quality of interaction, adherence to policy, and suitability for interacting with potential minors.

5. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES

The following activities are strictly prohibited and will result in immediate, permanent account termination and reporting to authorities:

• Grooming and Exploitation: Any attempt to build an inappropriate emotional or personal relationship with a minor for exploitative purposes.
• Sexual Harassment & Abuse: Any sexually suggestive comments, advances, sharing of explicit materials, or any form of sexual abuse or harassment.
• Cyberbullying & Harassment: Engaging in any form of bullying, intimidation, derogatory remarks, or hate speech against a minor.
• Disintermediation (Circumvention): Attempting to contact minors outside the platform via private channels (WhatsApp, social media, etc.). This is a severe breach of our safeguarding protocols.
• Sharing Extremist or Harmful Content: Sharing or promoting any material that is violent, extremist, discriminatory, or could incite harm to the minor or others.
• Fraudulent Representation: Falsifying one's identity, credentials, or university affiliation to gain a minor's trust.

6. REPORTING A CONCERN OR VIOLATION

We encourage all users—especially parents and minors—to report any suspicious, inappropriate, or concerning behavior immediately.

• Safety Reporting: Please report any safeguarding violations directly to our dedicated Safety Team at safety@unispov.com.
• What to Include: When reporting an incident, please provide as much detail as possible, including usernames, date/time of the session, and a brief description of the concern.
• Confidentiality: All reports will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and investigated promptly and thoroughly.

7. ENFORCEMENT & SANCTIONS

• Immediate Suspension: Upon receipt of a credible report, Unispov reserves the right to immediately suspend a user's account pending a full investigation.
• Permanent Termination: If a violation of this Child Protection Policy is found to be true, the offending user's account will be permanently terminated with no right to appeal.
• Legal Escalation: Unispov is obligated by law and committed to reporting any suspected criminal activity, child abuse, or exploitation to the appropriate UAE law enforcement authorities, including the Ministry of Interior and the Child Protection Centre in the UAE.

8. CONTACT US

If you have any questions, concerns, or require further information regarding this Child Protection Policy, please do not hesitate to contact us: