Semester Community Guidelines

Effective date: [EFFECTIVE DATE]

Semester only works if people feel safe saying "I like you." Locking someone takes guts. These rules keep it that way.

Short version: be real, be kind, and take no for an answer.

Who can be here

• You have to be 18 or older. No exceptions.
• You have to be a current college student who signs up with your own .edu email.
• One person, one account, and it has to be yours.

Zero tolerance

We don't give warnings for any of the following. When we confirm it, we remove the account.

Harassment and threats. No bullying, intimidation, stalking, threats, or unwanted sexual messages. Don't keep pushing after someone says no, goes quiet, or blocks you, and don't try to reach them another way. Never encourage someone to hurt themselves.

Hate. No attacks on people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, caste, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or serious illness.

Objectionable content. No nudity or sexually explicit content, including in your profile photo or name. No graphic violence or gore, and no content that promotes self-harm, illegal drugs, weapons, or terrorism.

Impersonation and fake accounts. Use your own name, your own photo, and your own school email. Don't pretend to be someone else, whether that's a classmate, a celebrity, or Semester staff. Don't create an account with an email that isn't yours.

Minors. Semester is 18+ only. Anything that sexualizes a minor is removed right away, the account is banned, and we report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and to law enforcement. If you think someone on Semester is under 18, report them.

Abusing locks. Locks are for people you're actually interested in. Don't lock someone as a prank, a dare, a bet, or to scare or embarrass them. Don't keep re-locking the same person to fill their inbox. Locking someone sends them an email, so only enter the name and email of someone you know and are genuinely interested in.

Sharing private information. Don't post or send someone's address, schedule, phone number, private photos, or screenshots of their chats to expose or shame them.

Spam, scams, and selling. No ads, promotions, money requests, crypto pitches, "sugar" arrangements, sex work, or links meant to trick people. Don't buy, sell, or trade accounts or credits.

Anything illegal. If it's against the law, it's against our rules.

Reporting

If someone breaks these rules, tell us. Reports are confidential, and the person you report won't know it was you.

How to report someone: open your chat with them, tap the menu, then tap Report. Pick a reason (Harassment or Bullying, Inappropriate Content, Spam or Scam, Fake Profile, Hate speech, or Other) and add any details that will help us understand what happened.

If you can't report in the app (for example, if they aren't your match), email support@semesterapp.com with their name and school and a description of what happened.

If you got a Semester email and don't want any more, use the Unsubscribe link at the bottom, or email support@semesterapp.com.

Our commitment: a real person on our team reviews every report within 24 hours.

In an emergency, call 911 or your campus police first. We can't send help.

Blocking

You can block anyone you've chatted with, any time, for any reason. Open the chat, tap the menu, then tap Block.

When you block someone:

• Neither of you can message the other.
• You stop appearing in each other's matches, friends, and search.
• We don't tell them you blocked them.

You can unblock someone later in Settings → Blocked Users.

Blocking and reporting are separate. If someone broke the rules, please report them as well as blocking them, so we can protect other people too.

What happens when we take action

When a report comes in, we review it. We look at the reported profile, the reason and details you gave, and the most recent message from the reported person. Reviewers don't see your full chat history. Then we either close the report or ban the account.

If we ban an account:

• It's immediate. The person is signed out and can't sign in again with that account.
• Their profile is no longer visible to anyone, and they can't send messages.
• Any credits on the account are forfeited, with no refund, except where the law or the app store's rules require one.
• They may not create a new account.
• If someone's safety is at risk, we may also contact campus officials or law enforcement and give them information as the law allows (see our Privacy Policy).

Think we got it wrong? Email support@semesterapp.com from the email on your account within 30 days and tell us why. A different team member will take another look.

One more thing

Rejection happens. If someone doesn't lock you back, that's their answer. Please respect it.

Questions about these guidelines? Email support@semesterapp.com.

Questions? Contact support.