At VSCO, we believe representation, community, and self-expression matter. VSCO is an inclusive, safe space for all creators to be their authentic selves, connect with others, and share their voices and their creative content.

We understand how impactful such a safe space can be for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Below you can learn more about some of our safety policies and specific resources to help safeguard the experience for our LGBTQIA+ creators.

Hate Speech or Bullying & Harassment

There's no place for hate on VSCO. This includes, but is not limited to, content that discriminates, attacks, or promotes hatred or violence. Degrading, shaming, intimidation, or harassment of others by any means is not allowed.

The resources listed below are intended to provide more information on how to keep yourself safe on VSCO, and you can also learn more about our policies by checking out our Community Guidelines.

Taking Safeguards

Showing up online as your authentic self online can be liberating, but also intimidating when engaging with others. Be proactive and take advantage of safety tools and privacy settings that can add extra layers of security.

All VSCO profiles are public by default. Our goal with public profiles is to promote open sharing for creative inspiration and remove possible hidden spaces of abuse. This means that, unless you choose to block them, anyone can see your username and content. However, you do not have to use your real name when creating a VSCO account and can remove any of your images that were posted to a Collection of another VSCO profile. If you would like to change your username, you can find instructions here.
All VSCO Spaces are public by default. Similar to profiles, the default of Spaces being public is also to promote sharing of creative content and to limit abuse. Unless the creator of a Space chooses to make them private, anyone (unless blocked) can see which Spaces you are a part of. Learn about more ways to stay safe with Spaces here.
You can block creators. As mentioned above, the best way to restrict who can see your content is to block them. A creator you block cannot follow you, message you, join a Space you’ve created, view content on your profile, or interact with your content anywhere on the platform. Rest assured, when you block a creator, they do not receive a notification. Learn more about how to block here.
You control who can message you. You can ignore or block message requests from creators you don’t know and set your preferences to only accept messages from followers. Learn more about how to stay safe with Messaging here.
You are able to restrict location sharing. If you don’t want your followers or anyone using VSCO to know where the content you post was taken, be sure to deactivate this feature in VSCO.

For more detailed information on how to keep your account and information safe on VSCO check out this article.

Reporting

Safety is at the core of VSCO. Ensuring that our community is safe is our top priority. For that reason, we have built ways to report inappropriate content you may encounter on VSCO in app or on web. Rest assured, your reports will never be shared with the reported creator.

To report a post, Space, profile, or message click the Screen_Shot_2019-09-20_at_4.09.38_PM.png icon, select the reporting option, and then select the reason you would like to report it.

For more detailed information on how to report inappropriate content on VSCO check out this article.

Additional Resources

If you are struggling or simply would like support, it may be helpful to seek advice from a trusted individual. If you would feel more comfortable speaking to an outside party, there are organizations and helplines worldwide that can provide expert and experienced support.

For immediate support, check out our Emotional Support Resources or the resources listed below that were created specifically to serve the needs of the LGBTIA+ community. They provide crisis counseling, online chat groups, resources for friends and families, and/or in person support groups.

Whether what you’re going through is unique to the LGBTQIA+ community or not, it may be helpful to connect with others who can relate to what you’re feeling and how you see the world.