Safety guide

Meeting new people is great, but meeting a stranger calls for some care. These tips apply to everyone: read them before your first date. Last updated: [DATE].

Before you meet

• Get to know each other a bit in the chat before meeting. A short video call helps you check the person is who they say they are.
• Keep conversations in the app until you really trust the person: here you can report and block, and automatic checks protect you from scams and requests for your details.
• Don't share your home address, workplace, daily routine, passwords, verification codes or ID documents.
• Be wary of people with few photos, who dodge every personal question, keep postponing the meeting or rush you.
• Use photos that aren't on your social media: a reverse image search could lead to your personal profile.

The first date

• Meet in a busy public place, never at either person's home.
• Tell a friend where you're going, who with and when you expect to be back. You can share your live location with someone you trust.
• Arrange your own transport there and back, and keep your phone charged.
• Watch how much you drink and never leave your drink unattended. If you suddenly feel strange, ask the venue's staff for help.
• You can leave at any time, without having to explain.

Money and romance scams

Never send money to someone you only know online, for any reason. Romance scams almost always follow the same script:

• declarations of love very early on and a rush to move to WhatsApp, Telegram or other apps;
• a job abroad, on an oil rig, in the army or at sea, and an excuse always ready for not meeting or not video calling;
• a sudden emergency (hospital, customs, plane ticket, frozen account) that needs money right away;
• investment offers, crypto or "guaranteed profits";
• requests for top-ups, gift cards, bank transfers, or to receive and forward money for them.

If you spot these signs, stop contact and report the profile. If you've already paid, contact your bank and the police right away.

Intimate photos and blackmail

• Think carefully before sending intimate photos or videos: once sent, you no longer control where they end up.
• If someone threatens to share your intimate images to get money or more photos (sextortion), don't pay: paying usually leads to more demands.
• Don't delete the conversation: save screenshots of the messages, profile and demands, then report and block.
• Go to the police. There are also services that help stop intimate images being shared on major platforms (for example StopNCII.org).
• It's not your fault: blackmail is a crime.

Consent and respect

• Any physical contact needs the free and clear consent of everyone involved, at every moment. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
• Someone who is drunk, high, asleep or under pressure can't give valid consent.
• A "no", a silence or a hesitation must be respected. Insisting is harassment.
• The same applies in Lovelark Open, for every person: a couple's agreement doesn't replace each individual's consent.

Minors, exploitation and trafficking

Lovelark is for adults only. We have zero tolerance for any content or contact involving minors and for any form of prostitution, exploitation or human trafficking. We close the accounts and cooperate with the authorities. If you think someone is underage or in danger, report them right away.

Protect your account

• Never give anyone the verification codes you receive by SMS: they're only for you to sign in.
• Lovelark will never ask for your password, codes or card details in a chat or by email.
• If you think someone has used your account, write to us at nearlyappsupport@gmail.com.

What to do if something goes wrong

• If you're in danger, call for help right away: 112 in the European Union, 123 in Colombia, 911 in Sint Maarten and the United States, or your country's emergency number.
• In the app: from the profile or the chat, tap Report or Block. The blocked person can no longer see you or message you, and the chat is deleted. We review every report.
• If you've experienced harassment, violence or a crime, go to the police and to your country's support services for victims of violence. Keep the evidence (screenshots, names, dates).
• For any problem you can write to us at nearlyappsupport@gmail.com.
• In Colombia: line 155 for guidance to women affected by violence, and the Te Protejo channel (teprotejo.org) to report content involving minors.