If words or numbers in a chat message show up as asterisks, Nearo's chat filter replaced them before the message was sent.
What the chat filter does
Every chat message passes through the chat filter in all three Nearo apps. The other person only ever sees the filtered message, and you see the filtered version in your own chat too. There is no warning when something is replaced.
The filter replaces the following with asterisks:
Bad words, including mild ones, and common disguises for bad words such as swapping letters for numbers or stretching letters.
Email addresses.
Phone numbers and any other long run of digits, with or without spaces, dashes, dots or brackets between them.
Social media handles that begin with @.
Links to adult or shock websites are replaced with "[link removed]". Links to ordinary websites are never changed.
Ordinary words that happen to contain a bad word, and anatomy or religious words used in schoolwork, are left alone.
Can the filter be turned off?
No. The filter always uses its strictest, child-safe setting, and neither tutors nor organizations can change or turn it off. This applies to every session, including sessions with adult learners.