Hi,
My 11-year-old has been studying French with Memrise on his phone. Yesterday I noticed he was following a user with an inappropriate user name, which I won’t repeat here. I did a search for users and found dozens of similar names. I was surprised that Memrise would allow this, considering the app is rated “E” in the app store.
Does anyone know of a way to keep users like this from showing up?
Thanks.
Memrise, Terms of use: “By using our Services, you confirm that (i) you are at least 13 years old; and (ii) your use of the Services will not violate any applicable law or regulation in the province state, territory or country in which you reside.” (http://www.memrise.com/terms/).
Maybe report the names to the moderators team? http://community.memrise.com/groups/moderators
(don#t forget to attach the link to the respective user profiles)
I think the law would generally consider gljo to be the user of the services. Or whoever has the contract for the phone.
But the Terms of Use is still the place to look: Memrise might consider the inappropriate names a violation of Section 8 “Inappropriate Content”, and Section 17 tells you how to report it to Memrise.
I say “might” because Memrise is actually pretty tolerant of crude language, as long as it is not racist or directly harrassing another individual. Indeed, quite a few courses actually teach “inappropriate” words in different languages.
but if the parent “is considered” the user, s/he cannot make claim on behalf of the child, or in protecting the child from stuff meant for people older than the child…
however, those “inapproapriate” user names are maybe a “violation of regulations” as well?
If the child cannot legally be the user and the parent decides to let them use a service not intended for that child’s age range then it isn’t up to Memrise to modify their site for the child.
The parent assumes the risk and it is up to them to monitor their child’s use and set boundaries around possibly who they befriend.
Section 8 of the Terms of Use:
"…we reserve the right to remove any User Content that is Posted and is deemed by us in our reasonable opinion, or has been notified to us as being the following (“Inappropriate Content”):
Content that is offensive, indecent, objectionable, tasteless, harmful, hateful, threatening, unlawful, defamatory, infringing, abusive, inflammatory, harassing, vulgar, obscene, fraudulent, invasive of privacy, or publicity or human or personal rights, or any content that is racially, ethically , sexually, politically or otherwise humanly unacceptable…"
Nothing in that list mentions anything about age-appropriate content. Original poster gljo has found the content to be objectionable, and can report it. Memrise might agree, or might not - it is their decision.