Online privacy and security goes beyond simply accepting cookies or giving consent to receive correspondence. In a world where data sovereignty and protection are of utmost importance, it's crucial that your program take safeguarding seriously. With Award Force, there are steps you can take to support safeguarding every step of the way.
Important: regulations governing the safety and protection of children online vary by country. If your program supports the participation of children, you are advised to obtain your own legal advice on appropriate safeguarding measures. What follows are guidelines on measures you can take to configure your account in support of safeguarding. The following is not legal advice, nor does it comprehensively cover all relevant regulations globally.
What is safeguarding?
Defined as "measures to protect the health, well-being, and human rights of individuals" (source), safeguarding is inclusive of all measures to protect the safety and privacy of all users, such as children and at-risk adults.
How can I support safeguarding?
When it comes to configuring your account and entry form with Award Force, there are measures that you can take to support safeguarding from the start. These include:
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Link to your own program's legal documents for opt-in consent purposes for users under the age of 16
During registration users will check to agree to the Award Force terms of service and optionally provide consent to receive broadcast and notification emails. If your region requires further consent for minors you can link to your own policies via Settings > Users > Registration in the 'Consent' box. The default terms of service link in the account footer can also be changed by contacting support. -
Collecting only the minimum necessary data from users
Whether you're configuring user fields for registration or form fields for the purposes of completing an entry, collecting only the most necessary information is recommended. -
Configure clear questions according to relevant regulations for age verification and opt-in to the collection of personal data
Add fields, such as a numeric field or drop-down, to your registration or entry form to gather a user's age. If your region forbids minors from entering or has stricter requirements, use conditional fields to display the necessary messaging. -
Involve parents/guardians when potentially collecting data from minors
Further to the above, the review flow feature of Award Force can be used to either notify a parent or guardian of a minor's intent to submit or require their permission. To learn more about review flow, see our dedicated guides: Review flow overview and Review flow configuration. -
Implement a content moderation process to ensure that any harmful or inappropriate content is flagged and removed
Program managers can preview submitted entries and mark them as approved or rejected using the moderation feature. If only some content of an entry needs to be removed or edited, managers may also edit the submission on behalf of the entrant. For a more thorough examination of every submission after closing the entry period, try configuring a Qualifying judging stage. -
Provide clear instructions for users on how to report any inappropriate behaviour or content
Using an 'About' page or other content block, detail the steps users can take to notify your program organisers if anything is amiss. Simply provide contact information, such as a phone number or Markdown-linked email address, to report issues.