Terms of Service: Age Verification and Child Safety Standards
Effective Date: September 11, 2025
Jurisdiction: Vienna, Austria
Governing Law: Austrian Law and European Union Regulations
1. Legal Framework and Regulatory Compliance
143-Dating operates under strict compliance with European Union regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016/679, the Digital Services Act (DSA) 2022/2065, and Austrian Federal Law on Data Protection (Datenschutzgesetz – DSG). Our age verification and child safety protocols align with Article 8 of the GDPR regarding children’s consent for information society services, which establishes 16 years as the minimum age for direct consent in most EU member states, though individual countries may set lower thresholds down to 13 years.
In accordance with the DSA’s requirements for online platforms, we maintain robust systems for content moderation, illegal content detection, and user safety measures. Our commitment extends beyond mere legal compliance to encompass industry best practices for protecting minors in digital environments.
2. Age Requirements and User Eligibility
Access to 143-Dating is restricted exclusively to individuals who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction, with an absolute minimum requirement of 18 years of age. This standard exceeds GDPR requirements and reflects our commitment to creating a safe environment for adult users seeking meaningful relationships.
During the registration process, users must provide an explicit age declaration confirming their eligibility. This declaration constitutes a legally binding statement under Austrian contract law and EU consumer protection regulations. While initial registration does not require mandatory age verification documentation, users acknowledge that providing false age information constitutes fraud and may result in both civil and criminal liability under applicable Austrian and EU laws.
Our platform reserves the right to implement enhanced age verification procedures at any time, particularly in response to regulatory changes or safety concerns. Users consent to these potential requirements as a condition of platform access.
3. Voluntary Verification System
143-Dating offers a comprehensive voluntary verification system designed to enhance user trust and platform security. Users may elect to complete identity verification by submitting government-issued photographic identification, which undergoes manual review by our trained verification specialists within three business days of submission.
The verification process complies with GDPR Article 6(1)(f) regarding legitimate interests for processing personal data, as enhanced user safety constitutes a compelling legitimate interest that outweighs potential privacy concerns. Verified users receive a distinctive profile badge indicating their verified status, which serves to increase trust within our community while remaining entirely optional.
All verification documents are processed in accordance with GDPR principles of data minimization and purpose limitation. Personal identification documents are securely deleted immediately following successful verification, with only verification status retained in our systems.
4. Child Safety and Protection Measures
143-Dating maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any content, activity, or behavior involving minors. This policy extends beyond legal requirements to encompass our ethical commitment to child protection. Our platform employs both automated systems and human moderators to detect and remove inappropriate content immediately upon identification.
In alignment with the EU Strategy for a Better Internet for Kids and the DSA’s provisions regarding illegal content, we have established comprehensive reporting mechanisms that enable users to report suspicious activity anonymously and confidentially. Our dedicated child protection team responds to reports within 24 hours, with emergency situations receiving immediate attention.
Any user found to have violated child protection policies faces immediate and permanent account termination, with relevant information reported to appropriate law enforcement agencies as required by Austrian law and EU directives on combating child sexual abuse.
5. Investigation Procedures and User Cooperation
143-Dating employs specialized Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) investigators who operate under strict internal protocols developed in consultation with legal experts and child protection organizations. These investigators receive ongoing training in accordance with industry best practices and legal requirements.
Investigations may be triggered by various factors, including suspicious user behavior, reports from other users, automated system alerts, or routine compliance audits. When contacted by our investigation team, users are required to respond within 48 hours and provide full cooperation, including submission of additional verification documents, participation in video verification calls, and truthful responses to all inquiries.
Our investigation procedures may include requests for additional photographic identification, real-time video verification with specific authentication requirements, cross-referencing of provided information with publicly available records, and secondary identification document verification. These procedures comply with GDPR requirements for lawful processing under Article 6(1)(c) regarding legal obligations and Article 6(1)(f) regarding legitimate interests in maintaining platform safety.
Users who fail to cooperate with investigations face immediate account suspension, permanent platform exclusion, potential reporting to law enforcement agencies, and forfeiture of any paid subscription fees. These consequences reflect the serious nature of child protection concerns and our commitment to maintaining a safe platform environment.
6. Investigator Authentication and Security
All 143-Dating investigators carry official platform credentials and can be authenticated through our official verification channels. Users may verify investigator authenticity by contacting our security department at [email protected]. Legitimate investigators will never request financial information, passwords, account credentials, or monetary payments of any kind.
Any communication requesting such information should be reported immediately to our security team, as it likely represents a fraudulent attempt to exploit our investigation procedures. This protocol protects users from potential scams while maintaining the integrity of our legitimate safety procedures.
7. Data Protection and Privacy Rights
All investigation activities are conducted in strict accordance with GDPR requirements, including Articles 13 and 14 regarding information provided to data subjects, Article 15 regarding the right of access, and Articles 16-18 regarding rectification, erasure, and restriction of processing. Users maintain full rights under GDPR, including the right to request information about data processing activities related to safety investigations.
Investigation records are retained only as long as necessary for legal compliance and safety purposes, in accordance with GDPR Article 5(1)(e) regarding storage limitation. Data may be shared with law enforcement agencies when legally required or when necessary to protect the safety of minors, as permitted under GDPR Article 6(1)(c) and (d).
Users may exercise their GDPR rights by contacting our Data Protection Officer at [email protected], though certain limitations may apply when processing is necessary for the protection of children or compliance with legal obligations.
8. Legal Liability and User Responsibility
Users bear full legal responsibility for the accuracy of age declarations and all information provided during registration and verification processes. False declarations may result in liability under Austrian criminal law, EU consumer protection regulations, and applicable civil law provisions.
While 143-Dating implements comprehensive safety measures, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted under Austrian and EU law. Users acknowledge that platform safety depends on honest user declarations and community cooperation with safety procedures.
Our maximum liability for any claims related to age verification or safety procedures is limited to the total subscription fees paid by the affected user, except where Austrian or EU law mandates greater liability protection.
9. Enforcement and Consequences
Violations of age and safety policies result in immediate consequences proportionate to the severity of the violation. Minor infractions may result in temporary account restrictions, while serious violations involving potential harm to minors result in immediate permanent exclusion from the platform.
143-Dating reserves absolute discretion to investigate any user account at any time, without prior notice, when safety concerns arise. Users consent to these investigation procedures as a fundamental condition of platform access, and refusal to cooperate constitutes grounds for immediate account termination.
Terminated accounts receive no refunds for unused subscription periods, and users may be prohibited from creating new accounts on our platform or affiliated services.
10. Policy Updates and Modifications
These Terms of Service may be updated periodically to reflect changes in applicable law, regulatory requirements, or platform safety procedures. Significant changes will be communicated to users through email notification and prominent platform notices, with a minimum 30-day notice period for material changes affecting user rights or obligations.
Continued use of the platform following policy updates constitutes acceptance of the modified terms. Users who disagree with updated terms may terminate their accounts and request data deletion in accordance with GDPR Article 17.
11. Contact Information and Support
Users may contact our specialized departments for various safety and compliance matters:
CSAE Investigations: [email protected]
Emergency Safety Reports: [email protected]
Legal Compliance: [email protected]
Data Protection Officer: [email protected]
Security Concerns: [email protected]
Emergency situations involving immediate safety concerns receive 24/7 attention, while routine inquiries are addressed within 48 hours during business days.
12. Acknowledgment and Consent
By creating an account or accessing 143-Dating services, users explicitly acknowledge having read, understood, and agreed to these Age Verification and Child Safety Standards. This acknowledgment constitutes informed consent under GDPR Article 7 and creates binding legal obligations under Austrian contract law.
Users further consent to cooperation with platform safety investigations and acknowledge that failure to cooperate may result in account termination and potential legal consequences.
SECURITY NOTICE: Legitimate 143-Dating investigators will never request monetary payments, account passwords, or financial information. Any such requests should be reported immediately to [email protected] as potential fraud attempts.
This document represents our comprehensive commitment to user safety and legal compliance. For questions regarding these terms, please contact our legal department at [email protected].