Safety
Safety, built in.
You should feel in control of your experience. Surf gives you direct tools to manage who reaches you, a moderation process that moves fast on real harm, and stronger protections for teens.
Tools you control
Every one of these is built into the app, available the moment you need it.
Block
Stop someone completely. A blocked account cannot message you, see your content, or find you in search, and they are not told.
Mute
Keep following without seeing the noise. Mute an account or a conversation and it stays out of your feed and notifications.
Restrict
Quietly limit someone without blocking them. Their replies are hidden from others unless you approve, and they cannot tell.
Reply and mention controls
Decide who can reply to each post and who can mention you, from everyone to only the people you follow.
Muted words
Add any word, phrase, or topic to filter it out of every feed and notification until you remove it.
Report
Report any post, profile, or message in a few taps. Reports are confidential and reviewed by our team.
How reporting works
Reporting is confidential, and we do not tolerate retaliation against people who report in good faith.
You report
Use the report option on any post, profile, or message, or write to us directly. Pick the reason that fits so it reaches the right place.
We review
Our moderation team reviews against the Community Guidelines. The most serious harms are prioritized and acted on quickly.
We act
If something breaks the rules we remove it and act on the account. We aim to tell you the outcome with a clear explanation.
You can appeal
If we act on your content or account, you can appeal from your notifications. Appeals are reviewed by someone other than the original decision-maker.
We act fastest on the most serious harms. Consistent with the TAKE IT DOWN Act, if an intimate image of you (including AI-generated imagery) is shared without your consent, you can request removal and we generally remove valid reports, and known copies, within 48 hours. Child sexual abuse or exploitation is met with zero tolerance: we remove it, preserve evidence, and refer it to NCMEC and law enforcement. Read the full rules in our Community Guidelines.
Protecting teens and families
Accounts for teens start with stricter privacy and safety defaults, including limits on who can contact them and what content is shown. Some protections cannot be loosened below a safe baseline.
Safer defaults
Tighter privacy, contact, and content settings are on from the start for teen accounts.
Parental supervision
A parent or guardian can link to a teen's account to see high-level activity and agree on limits together.
Restricted mode
Filters out mature or sensitive content across the app for anyone who wants a calmer experience.
Time and well-being
Tools to manage time on the app and reduce pressure, without dark patterns pulling you back.
Secure your account
- Turn on two-factor authentication with an authenticator app, and save your backup codes.
- Review and end active sessions, and get an alert whenever there is a new login.
- We will never ask for your password by message. Treat any such request as a scam.
Your privacy controls
- Make your account protected so only approved followers see your posts.
- Choose who can message you and who can reply to or mention you.
- Honor Global Privacy Control, mute words, and export your data anytime.
If you or someone you know needs help
If someone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services right away. In the United States, you can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline any time by calling or texting 988. When we detect content related to self-harm, we may surface crisis resources to help.
Law enforcement and legal requests
We respond to valid legal process and emergency requests from law enforcement. We scrutinize every request, require proper legal authority, and, where appropriate and lawful, notify affected users. Submit requests and preservation notices through our contact form, and see our Privacy Policy for how we handle data.
Need to report something?
In urgent cases, contact local emergency services first, then tell us.