Community Guidelines

LAST UPDATED: 14 July 2025

Tandem’s mission is to connect the world through languages. We're here to spark meaningful conversations, learn languages, and celebrate our different cultures. Our Community Guidelines are grounded in three core principles that serve our mission and help our members get the best language exchange experience:

1. We are here to learn

On Tandem we meet to learn languages together, to help and support each other on our language learning journeys. Tandem is not a dating app. While many of us have become friends along the way, we ask those who have no interest in learning to look elsewhere.

2. We celebrate our diversity

We come together from all around the world and value our different cultures and backgrounds. We meet each other with kindness, respect, and curiosity. We use authentic profiles. There is so much to learn from one another! Any discrimination towards race, ethnicity, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodivergence, or age has no place in our community.

3. We share generously

We are generous with our knowledge and grateful for the generosity of others. To preserve this spirit, making commercial offers to other Tandem members by promoting a product, service, or social media channel is not allowed, unless you are an official partner of Tandem.

These Community Guidelines explain what is expected from every member of our community. They outline behaviors and content that we encourage — as well as what is not acceptable on Tandem. Upholding these standards helps ensure that Tandem remains a safe, inclusive, and enriching space for all. We hold our members responsible for their actions on Tandem. When someone violates these values, we act.

These guidelines are updated from time to time as our community evolves.

Profile guidelines

Tandem is a global language learning community to practice languages. Because you’re often speaking with someone you’ve never met before, it’s important to know who you’re talking to. That’s why we require everyone to use an authentic name and profile photo, and accurate profile information. This helps build trust and foster genuine human connections.

One account per member

To maintain fairness and integrity within our community, each individual is allowed to maintain only one account at a time. Keep your Tandem account private and secure. Don’t share your account or your Tandem Pro subscription with others. Sharing login information may jeopardize the security and privacy of your personal data.

You must be 16 or older

You must be 16 or older to use Tandem. We may remove your account if we have strong reasons to believe you are under 16 years old. Creating a profile that misrepresents your age is strictly forbidden. To protect members under 18 years old, some features are unavailable (such as Language Parties) or restricted to the same age group (the Community).

Previously banned accounts

If your account was previously banned on Tandem, you are not allowed to create a new account without permission from the Community Safety team. If you have been banned from Tandem and you disagree with the decision, please check out our Appeals Process.

Authentic names only

You are required to use your authentic name and real identity on Tandem. We make sure that your last name is never visible to other members. For your displayed name, you are welcome to use your first name, initials, middle name, or shortened / altered versions of your first name. We do not allow usernames that:

Contain social media handles or links.
Impersonate another private individual, a celebrity, or a fictional character.
Use gibberish or nonsensical combinations of characters.
Include sexual, hateful, derogatory words or phrases, or otherwise violate these Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.

Profile photo guidelines

Your main profile photo must be a recent picture of you and clearly show your face. Your profile photos should be appropriate for all audiences. It is not allowed to use someone else’s photo, stock images, celebrity pictures, or AI-generated images.

We do not allow:

Images featuring unaccompanied or unclothed children.
Images depicting nude or nearly nude adults, including photos in underwear or swimwear indoors
Depictions of violent scenes or acts against humans or animals, including graphic or lifelike digital art or drawings that are likely to cause psychological distress
Images containing links or social media handles.
Images containing personally identifiable information.
Profile images showcasing weapons, such as firearms, edged weapons, or military equipment.
Images depicting or promoting the use of drugs.
Any other content that contradicts these Community Guidelines or Terms of Service.

Content and behavior guidelines

Unwanted advances and sexual harassment

Tandem is dedicated to language learning, not dating or flirting. Romantic, flirtatious, or sexual behavior has no place on Tandem. Those looking for that kind of interaction are asked to explore other apps. Even if something seems acceptable in your own culture or country, consider the global nature of our community and how your words or images might make others feel. Remember, we are here to learn!

Refrain from sending suggestive, flirtatious, or sexual content, or asking intrusive personal questions.
Do not use Tandem for matchmaking, dating games, or seeking romantic or sexual relationships.
Do not ask other members for personal photos.
Do not make sexualized or flirtatious comments about someone’s appearance, or fetishize them.
Do not attempt to obtain, share, or threaten to share sexual images, videos, or screenshots of sexual conversations on or off Tandem.
Do not normalize, depict, or promote sexual violence or non-consensual sexual acts.

Adult nudity, sexual activity, and sexually explicit language

We're here to help each other grow through meaningful conversations and cultural exchange. Sexually explicit content is not allowed here.

Do not publicly post or privately share nude, nearly nude, or sexually explicit images, pornography, or any other sexualized imagery.
Do not ask for, promote, or offer adult sexual content, chats, experiences, or services.
Do not share explicit or graphic descriptions of sexual activities, including ‘sexting’.

Child sexual exploitation and abuse

We have a zero-tolerance policy toward any content or behavior—whether images, text, or any other media—that depicts, promotes, trivializes, or supports the exploitation, sexualization, or endangerment of children. This also includes fictional content such as cartoons, anime, illustrations, or digitally created images. Any grooming behaviors, such as purposefully engaging in sexual conversations, or any other effort by adults to establish a relationship with members under 18 years old are strictly prohibited. If anyone violates this policy, they will be permanently removed from Tandem, and we will collaborate with law enforcement. We actively report any apparent case of child exploitation or abuse to relevant authorities without prior notice.

Bullying and abusive conduct

Our community thrives on mutual respect and inclusivity, and we do not allow harassment, bullying, or aggressive behavior.

Do not engage in threats, intimidation, or aggressive behavior. Never encourage others to bully or exclude another member, whether seriously or jokingly.
Do not use personal attacks, targeted cursing, or derogatory slurs intended to demean someone.
Do not contact members who have asked you to stop or blocked you.
Do not use profanity to harass others or to derail conversations.
Never share someone else's personal information—like their address, phone number, or email—or share screenshots of private conversations, whether they happened here or somewhere else, without their permission.
Coordinating to falsely mass-report someone or to silence them will lead to the immediate removal of all accounts involved.

Hateful conduct

Tandem is a safe and welcoming space to practice languages. We do not tolerate discrimination or attacks based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, neurodivergence, serious disease, or age.

Never express contempt, loathing, or disgust towards individuals or groups on the grounds of race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, caste identity, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, neurodivergence, serious disease, or age.
Do not use dehumanizing language, harmful stereotypes, or derogatory generalizations against anyone or any group based on protected characteristics.
Do not use slurs or misgender, even if not intended maliciously.
Any threat, glorification, or promotion of violence is strictly forbidden.
Do not use hate symbols, imagery, or gestures associated with supremacist or extremist ideologies.

We recognize context is important: clearly reclaimed language, obvious satire, educational discussions, or documentary contexts might be acceptable. Ambiguity will default to removal to protect the community.

Violence and graphic content

We have zero tolerance for enabling violence, anywhere—on or off Tandem. We do not allow threatening behavior, incitement of violence, and violent or graphic content that may cause distress, promote physical or psychological harm, or glorify dangerous activities. We may escalate credible threats of violence to law enforcement in line with our legal obligations. Any threats of violence, direct or indirect, are strictly prohibited.

Do not glorify violent acts or dangerous behavior.
Graphic depictions of self-injury, suicide, or eating disorders, or violence or harm against humans or animals are prohibited.
Do not glorify, promote, or normalise suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders.
Activity that involves sexual exploitation or abuse, human trafficking, and other serious criminal activities is strictly forbidden. If you are looking to share images related to hunting, fishing, or images in a medical context, please make sure they are not graphic and are not likely to cause distress.

Dangerous organizations and individuals

At Tandem, we do not tolerate any promotion, praise, glorification, or support of violence, terrorism, or organized hate. Any praise or support of such organizations or individuals is strictly prohibited. This includes:

Terrorist and extremist groups or individuals who use or advocate violence or intimidation against civilians to further political aims.
Organized hate groups, whether through speech, symbols, or other affiliations.
Perpetrators of mass violence, including mass murderers, serial killers, and other violent criminals.
Criminal organizations and anyone planning or engaging in illegal activities on or off our platform.

We recognize that members may discuss these subjects for education, awareness, or condemnation. To keep our community safe, any content referencing dangerous organizations or individuals must clearly state its purpose. Any content that praises, glorifies, or supports these entities will be removed, and accounts may face further action if intent is unclear.

Fraud and deception

We do not tolerate actions intended to defraud or manipulate our members out of financial or material resources, or to bring personal harm. This includes, but is not limited to:

Misrepresenting yourself or facts about yourself to deceive others for financial benefit.
Engaging in phishing or attempts to steal personal information.
Asking other members for money or financial support.
Pretending romantic interest or emotional attachment to deceive others out of money or assets.
Promoting unrealistic or misleading investment schemes or gambling opportunities that promise high returns or fixed outcomes.
Threats to share private images or information to extort additional content, money, or for any other material benefit. These actions are a serious violation of our Community Guidelines and undermine the safety of our platform. We are invested in detecting accounts involved in such behaviors early, in order to prevent them from joining the community and quickly remove them from the platform. We will also cooperate with police investigations of online fraud. Learn how to protect yourself from online scams here.

Inauthentic behavior and impersonation

Tandem is a language learning community with real people. We do not allow impersonation, inauthentic behavior, or actions that disrupt the platform’s intended use or target others in bad faith.

We do not allow:

Creating fake or misleading profiles, or creating new profiles to bypass the enforcement of these Community Guidelines.
Using someone else's name, image, or other personal identifiers.
Attempting to gain or successfully gaining unauthorized access to another member’s account.
Abuse of reporting systems, such as deliberately submitting false or malicious reports, mass or coordinated false reporting.
Pretending to represent Tandem, its team, Tandem Ambassadors, or any other official capacity.
Promising or attempting to sell, buy, or exchange app privileges, engagement, or product features, such as Tandem Pro, moderator access, admin access, etc.
Engaging with Tandem in any other inauthentic way.

Self-promotion, advertising, or financial requests

Making commercial offers to other members, promoting a product, service, organization, or social media channel is not allowed unless you are an official Tandem partner.

Do not promote social media profiles or channels to gain followers or subscribers via messages or on your profile.
Do not offer or promote paid language classes.
Do not promote products, services, or organizations.
Do not ask members for money or financial support for personal use.

Spam

Tandem is a space for authentic and respectful interactions. We do not allow the sending of repetitive, irrelevant, or unsolicited messages, whether for promotional, deceptive, or disruptive purposes.

Do not:

Send unsolicited or unwanted messages to others at high frequencies or in bulk.
Use automated tools to send messages, follow members, or engage in conversations.
Post or engage with content either automatically or manually at high frequencies.
For instance, repeatedly posting the same or very similar content within a Club or across multiple Clubs in a short period of time.
Offer false or non-existent services or functionality.
Share URLs (links) in a misleading way, or engage in typosquatting.
Offer money or giveaways.

Misinformation

We do not allow the sharing of false or misleading content that could seriously harm individuals, communities, or public safety. Do not share content that is demonstrably false or substantially misleading and likely to cause real‑world harm, such as:

Health hoaxes that discourage proper medical care or promote dangerous remedies.
False alerts about natural disasters, conflicts, or public emergencies that could create panic.
False claims about elections, civic processes, or government services intended to mislead.

Language Parties Guidelines

Language Parties are all about fun, friendly group conversations to practice languages together. Please keep conversations respectful, focused on learning, and do not use Parties for flirting, spamming, or self-promotion. You can find the full Language Parties Guidelines here.

Follow the law

Do not share content that violates anyone’s intellectual property or other rights.
Do not organise, promote, or engage in the selling or facilitation of sales of regulated or potentially dangerous goods. Regulated goods are subject to laws that restrict their purchase, sale, trade, or possession.
Do not organise, promote, or engage in any other illegal activity.

Actions we may take

We take the safety of our community very seriously. That is why we use a combination of automation and member reporting to identify content and conduct that goes against these Community Guidelines. We are continuously invested in improving the quality of our enforcement actions and have a system in place to control the quality of both automated and manual enforcement.

Once we have identified the violation of these Community Guidelines, we might take a range of actions against an account.

We may:

Reject your application to join Tandem.
Issue a guidelines reminder.
Issue a warning to your account.
Remove offending content.
Close a live Language Party.
Temporarily restrict access to some features.
Ban your account.
Cooperate with law enforcement, where necessary.

The action we take depends on the severity of a violation and on the history of prior violations of the Guidelines and their recency. Typically, if you had a prior warning and violated these Guidelines again within a 6-month period, your account will be banned.

When we take any enforcement action against your content or account — such as issuing a warning, removing content, restricting features, or banning your account — you will receive a clear notification from Tandem.

You have a right to appeal our enforcement. Learn how to submit your appeal here. Every appeal is reviewed by a human moderator. We aim to resolve appeals as fast as possible and we will make sure to notify you of the outcome.

In rare cases, to protect the community and comply with legal requirements, we work with authorities.

report visual Web&tablet

How to report

If you think someone on Tandem is breaking these Community Guidelines or something is off, you can always report it to our team. We take reports very seriously. Community moderators review each report and if there is evidence that the member you reported acted against any of the Community Guidelines, they will be warned or their account will be banned. Don’t worry—the member won’t be notified that you reported them! It might be that the community moderators reach out to you directly if they need additional information to resolve the report. We review member reports with the highest priority. Our typical response time is under 2 hours.

Here is how to submit a report.

We appreciate your contribution to keeping Tandem a safe, welcoming space for language learners worldwide. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions about these Community Guidelines, please don’t hesitate to get in touch—we’re here to help!