Community Guidelines

Effective Date: July 6, 2025

WatchAlong.me exists because watching videos together is genuinely better than watching alone. The shared laugh, the collective gasp, the post-credits argument — these are worth building technology for. Our Community Guidelines exist to protect those moments and make sure every person who joins a watch party can do so safely and enjoyably.

These guidelines apply to all interactive features of WatchAlong.me: the text chat, video chat, collaborative drawing canvas, sticker reactions, room names, and any other way you communicate with others on the platform.

1. The Core Principle

Treat everyone in your watch party the way you'd want to be treated in theirs. The golden rule isn't complicated, but it covers most situations.

If you're unsure whether something you're about to say, draw, or share is appropriate — it probably isn't. When in doubt, don't.

2. What Makes a Great Watch Party Member

The best watch party participants make the experience more enjoyable for everyone. Here's what that looks like in practice:

Be welcoming. Whether it's a two-person couple's movie night or a 20-person fan community event, acknowledge the people in your room. A quick "hey everyone" goes a long way.

React genuinely. Use the chat, sticker reactions, and drawing canvas to share your real reactions. A drawing of a shocked face after a plot twist, a sticker sent the moment a jump scare lands, a circle drawn around the background detail everyone missed — these are the moments that make watch parties worth having.

Respect the host's pacing. The host controls playback for everyone. If you need a pause, ask nicely in chat. Don't demand or complain about the pace.

Be present. You joined to watch together. Check in, react, participate. The point isn't just to have the same video playing simultaneously — it's to share the experience.

3. What Is Not Allowed

The following behaviors violate our Community Guidelines and may result in removal from a room, a temporary ban, or a permanent ban from WatchAlong.me.

3.1 Harassment and Abuse

Harassment of any kind is not tolerated on WatchAlong.me. This includes:

• Sending threatening, intimidating, or abusive messages in the chat
• Personal attacks, insults, or targeted mockery directed at other users
• Doxxing — sharing or threatening to share someone's personal information without their consent
• Stalking or following users across multiple rooms to harass them
• Sustained hostile behavior designed to drive someone out of a room

Context note: Friendly trash talk during a sports watchalong or playful banter between friends is different from genuine harassment. Use good judgment — if the other person isn't enjoying it, stop.

3.2 Hate Speech and Discrimination

Content that attacks, degrades, or dehumanizes people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic has no place on WatchAlong.me. This applies to:

• Text messages in chat
• Drawings on the collaborative canvas
• Content visible on video chat
• Room names or descriptions

3.3 Sexual Content and Nudity

WatchAlong.me is a platform for watching and reacting to video content together. Explicit sexual content or nudity is not permitted in any form:

• Do not share explicit sexual content via the chat or drawing canvas
• Do not expose yourself or others to nudity via the video chat feature
• Rooms intended to facilitate sexual activity between adults are not permitted on this platform

3.4 Content Involving Minors

Any content that sexualizes, endangers, or exploits minors is strictly prohibited and will result in an immediate permanent ban and reporting to the relevant authorities. This is absolute and non-negotiable.

3.5 Violent or Graphic Content

Do not use the chat or drawing canvas to:

• Depict graphic violence, gore, or self-harm
• Glorify or promote violence against individuals or groups
• Share content that threatens physical harm to any person

3.6 Spam and Unwanted Content

• Do not flood the chat with repeated identical messages
• Do not paste large blocks of irrelevant text
• Do not share unsolicited links to external websites
• Do not promote products, services, or platforms in watch party rooms without the host's consent

3.7 Impersonation and Deception

• Do not impersonate other users, public figures, or members of the WatchAlong.me team
• Do not deliberately spread false information about other users
• Do not claim to be affiliated with WatchAlong.me if you are not

4. The Drawing Canvas and Sticker Reactions

WatchAlong.me's collaborative drawing canvas and sticker reaction system are designed to make watch parties more expressive and fun. Using them to violate these guidelines is treated the same as any other form of misconduct.

Specifically: - Drawing offensive, hateful, or sexual content on the shared canvas is a violation - Using stickers in a targeted, harassing manner toward other participants is a violation - Drawing content designed to shock or distress other participants is a violation

The drawing canvas is for reaction, annotation, and shared creativity — not for expressing hostility.

5. Video Chat Standards

Our built-in video chat feature is intended to add warmth and presence to watch parties. When using video chat:

• Ensure your environment is appropriate for others to see
• Do not expose others to explicit content through your camera
• Be mindful that others can see your surroundings, not just your face
• If another participant's video chat behavior makes you uncomfortable, you may disable your own video and report the behavior

6. Content You Share

You are responsible for the video content you load into a WatchAlong.me room. Do not use the platform to:

• Watch or share pirated, unauthorized, or illegally distributed content
• Share content that violates the terms of service of the originating platform
• Distribute content for which you do not have appropriate access rights

7. Reporting Violations

If you experience or witness a violation of these Community Guidelines in a watch party room, you can:

• Report via email: Send a report to [email protected] with the room ID, a description of the incident, and any screenshots
• Leave the room: You are never obligated to remain in a room where you feel unsafe or uncomfortable

We review all reports and take appropriate action. We may not be able to share the outcome of specific enforcement actions, but every report is investigated.

8. Enforcement

Violations of these Community Guidelines may result in:

• A warning
• Removal from a specific room
• Temporary suspension of the ability to create rooms
• A permanent ban from WatchAlong.me
• Reporting to law enforcement where legally required (e.g., CSAM, credible threats of violence)

The severity of enforcement depends on the seriousness of the violation, prior history, and context.

9. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines as the platform evolves. We'll always update the "Effective Date" at the top when we do. The spirit of these guidelines — mutual respect, genuine enjoyment, and safety — will remain constant.

Frequently Asked Questions About Community Guidelines

What should I do if someone is harassing me in a watch party? Leave the room immediately if you feel unsafe. Then report the incident to [email protected] with as much detail as you can provide, including the room ID and a description of what happened.

Can I use the drawing canvas to draw anything I want? The drawing canvas is for creative expression and video annotation. Content that violates these guidelines — hate speech, explicit imagery, threats — is not permitted on the canvas, the same as in any other part of the platform.

Are these guidelines enforced in private rooms? Yes. These guidelines apply to all rooms on WatchAlong.me, whether public or private. Private rooms are not exempt from our content and behavior standards.