Swearing is hidden from the reader
A message with swearing is still delivered, with the words shown as stars to the person reading it. The writer sees their own words, and a line saying some are hidden.
Safety
Conversations that stay safe — without getting in the way
Families and tutors talk on AltEd next to the records they're discussing. Every message is checked as it's sent, by AltEd's own rules: almost all go straight through. The few flagged are read by AI, which acts only when it's sure — anything less, and anything about a child, is dealt with by a person.
- Checked as it's sent
- Report in two clicks
- Always told why
As a message is sent
What AltEd checks
On AltEd's own servers, with no AI and nobody else reading. A clean message is delivered exactly as it was written — only a flagged one is read any further.
Contact details bring a notice
Sharing a phone number, an email address or WhatsApp is allowed — plenty of tutors run a class group that way. Both people see a reminder that AltEd can't see or moderate a conversation once it moves elsewhere, and a family is told, in the bell and by email, when their tutor shares theirs.
Scams come with a warning
Being asked for gift cards, cryptocurrency, a money-transfer service or a sign-in code, or sent a link that hides where it goes, brings a warning to the person reading it — and goes to AltEd's moderators. AltEd will never ask you for a code or a password.
Harm is looked at quickly
Abuse, threats, slurs and sexual content are flagged, and the most serious held: only the sender sees them until they're delivered or removed, and the sender is told either way. AI reads each flagged message first and acts only when it's sure — anything less goes to AltEd's moderators, and anything that puts a child at risk always goes to a person.
Children
A child's contact stays with their parents
- Tutors talk to parents, not to children behind their parents' backs. A tutor shouldn't need a child's own phone number or social media, ask for pictures of a child, ask a parent to keep something from the other parent, or arrange time alone without the parents knowing.
- Messages from tutors are checked for exactly those things. The clearest are held before a family ever sees them; the rest are flagged as they're delivered. Every one of them goes to a person, straight away — AI never decides anything about a child's safety.
- The first message a stranger sends — the note with a request to connect — is checked the same way.
- A learner with their own sign-in can message their tutors, and their parent or guardian is always in the conversation — reading everything, and told if their child shares a phone number. Anything that worries anyone there goes to a person, never to AI.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 999. You can report online abuse to CEOP at ceop.police.uk, or call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.
Reporting
Report anything, in two clicks
Report sits under every message you receive, and on every request to connect. You can also report the person you’re talking to.
AI reads what you reported alongside the conversation and acts only when it’s sure; otherwise a moderator does, and a concern about a child always goes to a moderator. If you think the AI got it wrong, report it again and a person will look. The person isn’t told who reported them, and you’re told what happened.
Moving a conversation to WhatsApp or email is your choice — AltEd simply can’t see or help with anything said there. Keep payments on AltEd, where they’re on your ledger.
When the guidelines are broken
Fair, in proportion, and always explained
- 01A message removedTaken down, with the reason told to the person who sent it.
- 02A warningIn the bell and by email, with the guideline broken.
- 03Time outNo messages or connection requests for a day, a week or 30 days. Reading, and the rest of AltEd, carry on.
- 04SuspensionThe account can't be used, leaves the directory, and shows as not active to the people it worked with. Its records are kept.
- 05One appealA suspended person sees why and can appeal once. Upheld, and the account comes back; rejected, and the decision is final.
Read more
Everything you'll see, step by step
The safe messaging guide shows every notice, how to report, and what happens next.
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