# Terms of Service

Loaf (Loaf Social). Last updated 12 October 2026.
The current version is always at https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/terms

The rules for using Loaf, how we keep people safe, and what to do if something goes wrong. The main points:

- You must be 13 or older, and give your real date of birth.
- Your posts are yours. We only show them on Loaf.
- Be kind and keep it about pets. Harmful and illegal content is removed, and breaking the rules leads to strikes.
- Every report is checked by a person. You can appeal any decision, and we reply within 14 days.
- Loaf is free and run by one person, so please be patient with us.

## 1. About these Terms

These Terms are the agreement between you and Joseph Craig, who runs Loaf ("Loaf Social", "we", "us"). By creating an account you agree to them, to the [Community Guidelines](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/community-guidelines), which are part of them, and you confirm you've read our [Privacy Policy](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/privacy). Visitors who aren't signed in must follow them too.

Loaf is a free, small website for sharing photos and short videos of pets with friends. It's run by one person with the help of volunteer moderators, not by a company.

**Loaf is based in the United Kingdom.** It's run from the UK, under UK law, and the help and contact details on Loaf's pages are for the UK. In particular, **any phone numbers we give are UK numbers** (for example 999 for emergencies). If you're outside the UK, use your local emergency number and services instead.

## 2. Who can use Loaf

- You must be **13 or older**. We check this with the date of birth you give when you join, which must be true. If we have good reason to think an account belongs to someone under 13, we suspend it straight away and delete it after 14 days, unless it turns out to be a mistake.
- Accounts of people under 18 start private. They can choose to make them public after being shown what that means.
- One account per person. Don't share your account, and don't make a new one to get around a suspension or ban.
- You can't use Loaf if we've banned you before.

## 3. Your account

Keep your password private and tell us at [support@loafsocial.net](mailto:support@loafsocial.net) if you think someone else has got into your account. You're responsible for what happens on your account. Don't pretend to be someone else.

## 4. Your posts stay yours

You own the photos, videos and words you post. To run Loaf, you give us permission to store, copy (for example resizing photos and converting videos) and show them on Loaf, to the people your settings allow. This permission ends when you delete them or your account, except for copies kept in moderation records or backups for the times our Privacy Policy gives.

We won't use your posts anywhere outside Loaf, such as in adverts or on social media, without asking you first.

Only post things you made, or have permission to post. Don't post photos of other people, especially children, if they can be recognised and haven't agreed.

## 5. The rules

The [Community Guidelines](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/community-guidelines) say what's allowed in full. In short: keep it about pets, be kind, and don't post anything illegal or harmful. These are **never allowed, for anyone**:

- pornography or other sexual content;
- content that encourages, promotes or explains suicide, self-harm or eating disorders;
- violence, gore, hate, bullying, harassment or threats;
- animal cruelty, including "pranks" that frighten animals;
- dangerous stunts or challenges, or encouraging people to take harmful substances;
- buying, selling or giving away animals;
- spam, adverts and scams;
- other people's photos or videos without permission, or anyone's private information, such as an address;
- anything illegal.

Don't misuse Loaf either: no hacking or trying to get around our security, no automated copying of the site, and no flooding it with requests.

## 6. How we protect people from illegal content

Illegal content isn't allowed on Loaf. These rules apply in the same way to everyone.

**Child sexual abuse and exploitation.** When we find it, or it's reported to us, we hide it straight away, suspend the account, keep the evidence securely for the authorities, and report it to the National Crime Agency, as the law requires. We don't warn the account holder first.

**Terrorism content.** We remove it as soon as we know about it, suspend the account, keep the evidence and report it to the police.

**Other illegal content** (for example threats, harassment, fraud, or intimate images shared without consent). We remove it as soon as we know about it and act on the account. Where someone may be at risk, or the law requires it, we report it to the police.

Every report is looked at by a person. Loaf doesn't use automated scanning or other "proactive technology" to find, hide or remove content.

## 7. How we protect children

- Content that's harmful to children (the kinds listed in [The rules](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/terms#rules)) isn't allowed for anyone, so it's removed for everyone.
- Accounts of people under 18 start private, so only followers they approve see their posts.
- Anyone can report something, and reports are looked at by a person.
- Anyone can block someone, and the blocked person isn't told.
- We don't show children adverts or use their information to recommend content to them.

## 8. Reporting something

Press **Report** on any post, comment, profile or pet and choose a reason. The person isn't told who reported them. Not signed in, or don't have an account? Email [support@loafsocial.net](mailto:support@loafsocial.net) with a link to what you're worried about.

**Intimate images shared without consent** go on a fast route: choose that reason and a reported post is hidden straight away until an admin has looked at it. Admins are alerted at once. If someone is in danger right now, call 999 (the UK emergency number; outside the UK, call your local emergency number).

## 9. What happens if rules are broken

Depending on what happened, a moderator may:

- dismiss the report, if nothing was wrong;
- warn you, leaving the content up;
- remove the content, or clear part of a profile or pet;
- give a strike, alongside a warning or removal.

Strikes don't expire. A first strike stops you posting, commenting and liking for 24 hours; a second for 7 days; a third is a permanent ban, and the email address can't be used to join again. You can still log in and look around while restricted.

You're told what was done, why, and about any strike, in your notifications and by email (except for illegal content, see [How we protect people from illegal content](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/terms#illegal)). Admins can also suspend an account, for a set time or permanently, and will tell you the reason. We can remove content or end an account that breaks these Terms.

When we make these decisions we take people's freedom of expression and privacy into account.

## 10. Complaints and appeals

You can complain to us if:

- you think we got a moderation decision wrong (for example your post was removed, or you were warned, restricted or suspended);
- you've seen content on Loaf you think is illegal or breaks these Terms;
- you think we aren't following these Terms or our duties to keep people safe;
- you're unhappy with how we handle your information.

**How:** open the moderation notice in your notifications and choose **Appeal this decision**, or use [Contact us](https://app.loafsocial.net/settings/help#contact) in Settings > Help, or email [support@loafsocial.net](mailto:support@loafsocial.net) (which also works if you don't have an account).

**What happens:** an admin looks at it again and replies by email within 14 days. Complaints about intimate images shared without consent are dealt with first. If we got it wrong, we'll put things right, for example by restoring your content or removing a strike.

If you're still unhappy: for anything about your information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (see the [Privacy Policy](https://app.loafsocial.net/legal/privacy#complaints)). Ofcom regulates online safety in the UK; it doesn't handle individual complaints, but you can tell it about your experience at [ofcom.org.uk](https://www.ofcom.org.uk).

## 11. Leaving Loaf

You can delete your account at any time in Settings > Delete your account. It's hidden straight away and deleted for good after 30 days; logging in before then cancels it.

## 12. The service

Loaf is free and run in our spare time from a home server, so it may sometimes be unavailable or lose data despite our care. Keep your own copies of anything important. We may change or stop parts of Loaf; if we ever close it, we'll give as much notice as we can so you can save your things.

Donations through Ko-fi are voluntary gifts. They don't buy anything on Loaf and Ko-fi's own terms apply to them.

## 13. Responsibility

People are responsible for what they post. We aren't responsible for content other people post, though we act on it as these Terms describe. Because Loaf is free, we aren't responsible for losses that come from it being unavailable, or for losses we couldn't reasonably have expected.

Nothing in these Terms limits our responsibility for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law doesn't allow us to limit, and nothing takes away your legal rights.

## 14. Changes to these Terms

If we change these Terms in a way that matters, we'll tell you on Loaf and ask you to agree again before you carry on using it. If you don't agree, you can delete your account.

## 15. The law

These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and its courts can hear any dispute about them. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you can also bring a claim in your local courts.