Child Safeguarding Statement

On the platform

• No public comments. Nowhere on the platform can the public comment on a student or their work. Voting is the only public interaction.
• Display controls. Every participant can choose to show their first name only and to hide their school's name, and can change this at any time.
• A report button on every submission. Reports go to a human reviewer. Content that risks any child's safety or privacy is removed first and reviewed after.
• No direct contact. The public cannot message participants through the platform, and participant contact details are never displayed.
• Content review. Every submission is reviewed before it appears in the public gallery.

Consent and data

• No learner under 18 can submit without a parent or guardian's recorded consent.
• Participation consent and marketing consent are strictly separate. Entry is never conditional on receiving marketing.
• Children's data is processed under POPIA's special protections for children, with the retention limits set out in our Privacy Notice.

In the media

• All publicity is opt-in. Finalists and winners can decline interviews, photographs, and coverage without affecting any prize.
• Fresh consent for each use. Featuring a learner under 18 in any media requires specific parental consent for that use, not a blanket sign-off.
• A media protocol governs coverage. No home addresses, no contact details, no school identification without consent, and a named Zaio chaperone contact for any interview or filming involving a minor.

Raising a concern

If you see anything on the platform that concerns you, use the report button on the submission, or contact us directly:

Safeguarding contact: hello@zaio.io, marked "Safeguarding"

We respond to safeguarding reports within 24 hours.