Community Guidelines

Last updated: July 2026

Common exists so that travelers and locals can meet in real life, safely. Every person you meet here is a real human being, verified before they ever appear in the app. Every moment is reviewed by our team before it appears on the map. These guidelines are the agreement that keeps that possible. They are not decoration and they are not optional. By creating an account and by joining or hosting a moment, you accept every rule on this page.

We would rather be a small community that people trust than a large one that they fear. That is why enforcement here is strict. Some behavior gets a warning. A lot of it gets you removed permanently, with no second chance and no warning, and in the most serious cases it is reported to the police. Read this fully before you continue.

1. Be a real person

  • Use your real name and a current, clearly recognizable photo of your own face. Your first selfie is required and is part of how we verify you.
  • You must be 18 or older. No exceptions.
  • One person, one account. Do not impersonate anyone, run duplicate or fake profiles, or let someone else use your account.
  • Be honest about where you are. Do not pretend to be in a city you are not actually in.
  • Locals are reviewed by hand before they are approved to host. Giving false information in that application is grounds for permanent removal.

2. Consent and boundaries come first

Common is a place to share a coffee, a walk, a meal, a skill or a neighborhood. It is not a dating or hookup app, and it is never a place where anyone owes you attention, affection or anything physical.

  • “No” is a complete answer. It does not need a reason, an apology, or a negotiation. When someone declines, changes their mind, goes quiet, or leaves, that is their right at any moment, before or during a meeting.
  • Never pressure, guilt, bribe or wear someone down for contact details, photos, time alone, physical contact, or anything they have not freely agreed to.
  • Enthusiastic, freely given agreement is the only kind that counts. Silence, hesitation, or going along to avoid conflict is not consent. Consent given under pressure, intoxication or fear is not consent.
  • Respect personal space and stated limits during a moment. If someone wants to keep things in a public place, keep things in a public place.

3. No sexual harassment, ever

Sexual harassment is one of the fastest ways to lose your account on Common. We treat it seriously whether it happens in a message, on a profile, or in person. The following are not allowed, and most lead to an immediate, permanent ban:

  • Unwanted sexual comments, jokes, advances, propositions or innuendo, including about someone's body or appearance.
  • Sending sexual or nude images, or asking someone to send them. Sending unsolicited explicit images is never acceptable and may be a crime where you live.
  • Repeatedly contacting, following, or trying to meet someone who has declined, blocked you, or stopped responding.
  • Sharing, threatening to share, or recording intimate or private images of anyone without their explicit, ongoing consent.
  • Any physical contact of a sexual nature that the other person has not clearly and freely welcomed.

If you are not sure whether something is welcome, do not do it. Ask, listen, and respect the answer.

4. Treat people with respect

  • No harassment, bullying, intimidation, threats, or stalking of any kind.
  • No hate speech or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, body, or any other characteristic.
  • No demeaning, degrading or dehumanizing language about a person or a group.
  • Disagreement is fine. Cruelty is not. Assume the person across from you is a guest in your day, or you in theirs.

5. Zero tolerance

The following behaviors result in an immediate, permanent ban and, where the law applies, are reported to the authorities. We cooperate fully with law enforcement.

  • Any sexual content involving minors. Ever, in any form.
  • Sexual assault, coercion, or any non-consensual contact.
  • Threats or acts of violence against anyone.
  • Image-based sexual abuse, including sharing intimate images without consent.
  • Human trafficking, exploitation, or any attempt to lure, recruit or move a person under false pretenses.
  • Trading in drugs, weapons, or other illegal goods.
  • Doxxing, which means sharing someone's private information without their consent.

6. No solicitation, no transactions

Common is free to meet on and there is no money changing hands for the experiences themselves. To keep it that way and to keep people safe, the following are banned:

  • Sex work, escorting, sugar dating, or any transactional or romantic-for-pay arrangement.
  • Using Common to advertise, sell, recruit for, or promote a business, service, investment, or cause.
  • Asking a host or traveler for money, gifts, loans, or financial favors, or offering them.
  • Multi-level marketing, fundraising, or any pitch dressed up as a moment.

7. Honest profiles, honest moments

  • Do not lie about who you are, what you do, or what you are looking for.
  • Hosts: describe your moment accurately, list a real meeting point, and show up. Do not advertise one thing and deliver another.
  • Travelers: only request to join moments you actually intend to attend, and cancel as early as you can if your plans change.
  • Do not use the app to collect contacts, harvest data, or test it for any purpose other than meeting people.

8. Privacy and money

  • Do not share another person's private details, location, photos or messages outside Common without their consent.
  • Do not photograph or record anyone during a moment without their clear agreement.
  • Never send money, crypto, gift cards, or sensitive documents to someone you met here, and never accept a deal that depends on it. If anyone asks, it is a scam. Report it.

9. Safety practices

  • Meet in public places, especially the first time.
  • Tell a friend where you are going, who you are meeting, and when you expect to be back.
  • Trust your instincts. If something feels wrong, you owe no one an explanation. Leave.
  • Keep your first conversations inside the app so there is a record if anything goes wrong.
  • If you are in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first, then tell us.

10. Reporting, and what happens next

If anything feels off, before, during, or after a meeting, you can report it from any profile or moment via the ⋯ menu. You can block anyone from any profile or moment (⋯ menu), and manage your blocked users from your profile settings. Reporting is confidential.

Our team reviews every report. Depending on what we find, we take action that can include a warning, removing content, restricting features, suspending an account, or permanently banning a person. Serious cases are escalated to the relevant authorities. You can also reach us directly at safety@common-app.co.

11. Enforcement

We decide what crosses a line, and we apply these guidelines as we see fit to keep the community safe. We can remove anyone at any time for breaking the spirit of these rules, not only the letter. A permanent ban means you may not return under a new account. Attempting to evade a ban is itself a violation.

12. Appeals

If your account is suspended or banned and you believe it was a genuine mistake, write to appeals@common-app.co from your account email. We review every appeal, though we do not reverse bans for the zero-tolerance behaviors above.

13. Changes to these guidelines

As Common grows, these guidelines will evolve. When we make a meaningful change we will update the date at the top of this page. Continuing to use Common after a change means you accept the current version.

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