Community Standards

1. Introduction

Merydia is a curated professional introduction service operating under the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth) and the Phase 2 Restricted Access System (RES) Code. These Community Standards define the content rules that apply to all users of the Merydia platform, including profile content, photographs, and in-app messages.

All users must agree to these Community Standards before their account is activated. Violation of these Standards may result in account suspension, permanent ban, or referral to law enforcement authorities, depending on the severity of the violation.

2. Content Classification

Merydia applies the content classification framework established under the Online Safety Act 2021 (Cth) and the Phase 2 RES Code. The following classes of content are defined:

Class 1A — Prohibited (zero tolerance): Material that is absolutely prohibited on Merydia. Includes: child sexual abuse material (CSAM); pro-terrorism material; material that facilitates or promotes acts of terrorism or mass violence. No exceptions. Immediate referral to law enforcement.

Class 1B — Prohibited (zero tolerance): Material that is absolutely prohibited on Merydia. Includes: extreme crime and violence (content depicting, facilitating, or promoting serious criminal offences involving violence); drug-related material (content that promotes, facilitates, or instructs the supply or manufacture of controlled substances). No exceptions. Account suspended immediately on detection.

Class 1C — Restricted (consent required): Explicit sexual content between adults. This class of content is not permitted in profile photographs or profile text. It may arise in in-app messages between mutually consenting adult users who have enabled adult content preferences. Merydia provides user-facing controls for Class 1C content exposure (see Section 5).

Class 2 — Restricted (user controls apply): Legal but potentially distressing content. Includes: graphic depictions of violence; depictions of drug use; other content that may be harmful or distressing to some users. User-facing controls are available (see Section 5).

Below threshold: All other content. Subject to the content rules in Section 3.

3. Profile Content Rules

The following rules apply to all profile content, including photographs, profile text, and questionnaire responses.

3.1 Prohibited profile content

The following content is prohibited in user profiles and will result in profile rejection or account suspension:

• Class 1A material — zero tolerance (see Section 2)
• Class 1B material — zero tolerance (see Section 2)
• Nudity or sexually explicit content in profile photographs
• Photographs that do not clearly show the account holder's face
• Photographs depicting a third party without their consent
• Hate speech — content that vilifies, threatens, or discriminates against a person or group on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected attribute
• Threatening language directed at any person
• Demonstrably false identity information — profile content that is inconsistent with the LinkedIn profile provided at onboarding
• Content that promotes, facilitates, or glorifies violence, self-harm, or suicide

3.2 Profile photograph standards

Profile photographs must:

• Clearly show the account holder's face (primary photograph must be a clear face photograph)
• Be recent and accurately represent the account holder's current appearance
• Not contain Class 1A, 1B, or 1C content
• Not depict nudity or semi-nudity
• Not contain watermarks, heavy filters, or digitally altered facial features that obscure identity

3.3 Profile text standards

Profile text (About me, professional headline, questionnaire responses) must:

• Be accurate and not misleading
• Not contain Class 1A, 1B, or 1C content
• Not contain hate speech or threatening language
• Not contain contact details (email, phone, social media handles) — Merydia's in-app messaging is the designated communication channel

4. In-App Messaging Rules

The following rules apply to all in-app messages sent via Merydia.

4.1 Prohibited message content

• Class 1A material — zero tolerance. Immediate referral to law enforcement and permanent ban.
• Class 1B material — zero tolerance. Account suspended immediately.
• Harassment, threats, intimidation, or abusive language directed at another user
• Unsolicited explicit sexual content (image-based or text-based)
• Scam or fraud content — including romance scam scripts, requests for money, financial solicitation, or phishing links
• Sharing of another person's private images or personal information without their consent (image-based abuse)
• Spam or bulk unsolicited messages

4.2 Automated content moderation

All messages are subject to automated content moderation for safety purposes, including:

• Class 1B keyword detection — drug promotion, extreme violence facilitation, romance scam indicators
• CSAM detection via PhotoDNA hash matching (Class 1A — immediate automated response)

Automated moderation operates as a floor. Users retain the right to report content that has not been detected automatically (see Section 6).

5. User Content Controls

Merydia provides the following user-facing controls in Profile Settings > Content Preferences:

• Explicit content (Class 1C): Toggle on/off. When off (default), explicit sexual content in messages is filtered. Users must opt in to see Class 1C content.
• Graphic content (Class 2): Toggle on/off. When off (default), potentially distressing content (graphic violence, drug depictions) in messages is filtered.
• Message filtering: Users may block any introduction match. Blocked users cannot send further messages.

These controls do not affect operator-side moderation. Class 1A and 1B content is removed regardless of user content preference settings.

6. Reporting

Users may report content or conduct via the in-app reporting system (Profile > Report). The following report categories are available:

• Inappropriate content — 24 hours
• Harassment — 24 hours
• Romance scam — 24 hours
• Image-based abuse — 1 hour
• Adult cyber-abuse — 24 hours
• CSAM — Immediate automated response. User-submitted reports of suspected CSAM also trigger immediate response and mandatory referral to the Australian Federal Police.

If your report cannot be resolved within 30 days, you have the right to escalate to the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au. Merydia will inform you of this right if your report is not resolved within 30 days.

7. Enforcement

Violations of these Community Standards are assessed by Merydia's Trust & Safety team. The following enforcement actions apply:

• Class 1A — CSAM or pro-terrorism material: Immediate permanent ban. Mandatory referral to the Australian Federal Police and eSafety Commissioner. No appeal.
• Class 1B — extreme crime/violence or drug promotion: Immediate account suspension. Law enforcement referral where the content constitutes or facilitates a criminal offence under Australian law, or where a Crimes Act 3ZQU data preservation notice is received. Referral to the eSafety Commissioner required in all confirmed Class 1B cases. No appeal for confirmed Class 1B.
• Serious violation (harassment, image-based abuse, scam): Account suspension. May be escalated to permanent ban on second confirmed violation.
• Profile content violation: Profile rejected per our content standards. User notified. Second rejection is final.
• Minor violation: Warning issued. Repeated minor violations may result in suspension.

Enforcement decisions are made by Trust & Safety ops leads. All enforcement decisions are logged in the audit record.

8. Appeals

Users may appeal an account suspension (but not a permanent ban for Class 1A/1B violations) by contacting privacy@merydia.app within 14 days of suspension. Appeals are reviewed by the Trust & Safety Lead.

Profile rejections: a second rejection decision is final and cannot be appealed.

9. Safe Dating and Name Disclosure

Merydia is committed to helping you meet your introductions safely. Before you and a match both accept an introduction, you'll see each other's first name only, along with photos and professional details.

Once you and a match both say yes to an introduction, we'll share your full names with each other. We do this so you can look each other up before you decide to meet in person — we strongly recommend you do. Please don't share what you learn about someone else's identity with anyone outside your conversation with them.

Beyond this, we recommend the following safe dating practices before meeting an introduction in person:

• Tell a friend or family member the time and place of your first meeting
• Choose a public location for your first meeting
• Arrange your own transport to and from the meeting
• Video call before meeting in person if you'd like extra reassurance
• Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, you can leave at any time, and you can block or report a match at any point via Profile > Report

If you experience harassment, abusive behaviour, or feel unsafe in connection with a match, please report it immediately via the in-app reporting system (see Section 6).

10. Complaints

If you believe Merydia has not handled a content or safety matter in accordance with these Community Standards or our legal obligations, you may:

• Contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@merydia.app — we will respond within 30 days
• Escalate to the eSafety Commissioner at www.esafety.gov.au if your complaint is not resolved within 30 days

11. Review and Updates

These Community Standards are reviewed quarterly by the Trust & Safety Lead and Counsel. The first review is scheduled for 1 September 2026. Material changes will be notified to users by in-app notice at least 14 days before the change takes effect.

The Class 1B keyword list is reviewed quarterly by the Trust & Safety Lead and approved by Counsel. The keyword list is not publicly disclosed to prevent circumvention.

Merydia Community Standards v1.2 | Last updated 25 July 2026 | Merydia Digital Pty Ltd (ACN 698 772 315) | merydia.app/community