As user-to-user interactions increasingly define digital experiences, application safety must go beyond firewalls and extend to shielding users from each other. Embed proactive user-safety design elements into your platforms now, not because your regulators say so (though they are), but because your users are demanding it.
Why You Should Care
- Online harm is a business risk. In the U.S., 40% of adults report cyberbullying experiences—ranging from name-calling to explicit threats. The legal and reputational blowback from failing to address harmful user behavior isn’t theoretical; it’s already happening.
- The stakes are staggering for minors. Between late 2021 and early 2023, over 13,000 cases of financial sextortion targeting minors were reported, leading to at least 20 suicides. The mental health and safety of young users have moved from a "nice to have" to a "must deliver."
- Design is a defensive weapon. Features like content moderation, user blocking, parental controls, and clear community guidelines are now table stakes. Without them, you’re essentially letting your platform become the Wild West.
- Privacy vs. Protection? You can have both. Age verification is controversial but critical. Implement it only where truly necessary, and outsource if you're not equipped to build it securely and ethically. Balance usability with risk because not every platform needs a passport check at the door.
What You Should Do Next
- Assess how your application might be misused and design mitigations accordingly.
- Tailor safety mechanisms to your user demographics because one size does not fit all.
- Decide whether to build in-house or buy features like moderation and age verification since speed, cost, and customization matter.
Get Started
- Kick off a misuse audit. Map how your platform could be exploited for harm and prioritize design changes to close those gaps.
- Empower your users. Provide blocking, muting, and reporting tools—and default to the safest settings, especially for minors.
- Tap into AI for content moderation. LLMs aren't flawless, but they can triage user content faster than your human teams ever could.
- Be strategic about age verification. If needed, integrate trusted third-party tools rather than rolling your own risky system.