Yahoo! Message Boards Safety Guide

What is Yahoo! Message Boards?

Yahoo! Message Boards is an online community where you can find and participate in discussions on thousands of topics. The message boards are also part of many other Yahoo! sites, such as Yahoo! Music and Yahoo! Movies.

You could use Yahoo! Message Boards to talk about everything from schoolwork to PlayStation tricks to the Chicago Bulls’ playoff chances.

To learn more, check out Yahoo! Message Boards Help.

What are some potential risks on Yahoo! Message Boards?

Everyone on Yahoo! Message Boards must follow the Yahoo! Terms of Service.

Just as there may be risks in the town where you live, the Yahoo! Message Boards community may pose certain risks. Yahoo! Message Boards has a number of safety features, but you have to take care of yourself too.

Start with some of our general tips for online safety. Then, when using Yahoo! Message Boards, keep these things in mind:

• Protect personal information. Yahoo! Message Boards is a public forum. Any personal information posted online could be used by strangers to identify and contact you, potentially exposing you to unpleasant, sexually suggestive, or abusive language.
• Mature content. Yahoo! Message Boards forbids obscene or objectionable content. However, since it is a public forum, you might come across inappropriate messages while browsing. If this happens, please report the abuse to Yahoo!.

What can be done to limit these risks? Review Yahoo! Message Board’s safety features, learn how to report abuse, and ask your parents or caregivers to help you be safer on Yahoo! Message Boards.

What safety features should I know about to help protect myself = on Yahoo! Message Boards?

Yahoo! Message Boards has a number of safety features. You should know how to do the following:

• Use an alias. An alias can be used instead of your real Yahoo! ID when you post a message. An alias without any personally identifiable information is best. For example, instead of "tedjones1992dallas," try something more generic like "bluesky50." Learn more about choosing an online ID.
• Delete messages. If you accidentally post a message containing too much personal information, use the Deletion Request Form to request that the message is removed. If someone else posts an inappropriate or offensive message, you can ignore or report that person (see below).
• Ignore. To suppress all messages from a specific person on Yahoo! Message Boards, click the Ignore User link to the right of any of that person's messages. You can also manage your list of ignored users on the Ignore Settings page.
• Hide online status. Use this setting to keep other people from knowing when you are online.
• Use an avatar An avatar is a custom cartoon character that can represent you on Yahoo! Message Boards and other Yahoo! services. Using Yahoo! Avatars, you can create a personalized avatar to use instead of a real, identifiable photo.
• Report abuse to Yahoo!. To report offensive content or inappropriate contact with other people, click the Report Abuse link at the right of any message in Yahoo! Message Boards.

Yahoo! Message Boards is also a part of other Yahoo! sites, such as Yahoo! Music and Yahoo! Movies. The safety features described above can also be used from these places.

How can I report problems on Yahoo! Message Boards?

Yahoo! Message Boards has a Report Abuse link at the right of every message. Please click this link and complete the form if you are exposed to obscene language, mature content, threats of physical violence, harassment, or anything else that violates the Yahoo! Terms of Service. Make sure to provide specific information about the location of the offending content and the identity of the user in question.

Yahoo!’s customer care team receives abuse reports and takes appropriate action as necessary, which may include deactivating an abuser’s account. Reports that indicate activity involving child pornography or solicitation of a minor are dealt with promptly by Yahoo!’s legal team and, when appropriate, reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

What can I do to use Yahoo! Message Boards in a safer manner?

Yahoo! is committed to providing a safe online experience for everyone and, accordingly, complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Yahoo! Message Boards provides a number of safety features to limit potential risks. However, protecting children online is a responsibility shared with parents, teachers, and other caregivers.

You should start by learning some basic practices for online safety. These include safeguarding identity online, keeping passwords secret, being cautious about contact with strangers, and creating a family pledge for online safety.

If you are exposed to obscene language, mature content, threats of physical violence, harassment, or anything else that violates the Yahoo! Terms of Service, please report the abuse.