Mochi’s short version: this is a cosy place, so be gentle with it. These are the guidelines that go with the terms.
Be kind
Write the way you would to a neighbour you hope to meet. No insults, bullying, hate or threats. Nobody is here to be mocked.
Kind, with no pressure
The sea is for pen friends. Don’t send anything sexual, and don’t push someone who isn’t interested. Keep to what you are curious about: weather, food, small days.
Respect who people are
Everyone picks their own gender, and here that is who they are. Use it. Don’t ask anyone to prove it, guess it or explain it. Who someone would like to meet is private: never push someone to meet you or to change their choice.
Be yourself
Use your own name or a nickname, and don’t pretend to be someone else, a famous person or Sea Pals. Don’t use bots or tools to write for you in bulk or to collect things from the app. Only share words and photos that are yours to share, and never share someone else’s private information.
Contact details and photos wait
With someone new, links, handles, phone numbers and photos don’t travel in a first letter. Once you are chatting and each of you has sent a few messages, photos can open, and only if the other person says yes. Voice notes wait the same way. Don’t share where you live or go to school, or anything else that tells a stranger where to find you.
Stay safe
Never send money, gift cards or bank details to anyone you meet here, whatever the story. Sea Pals is for writing, not for meeting up; if you are under 18, never meet someone from Sea Pals without a parent or guardian. If someone talks about hurting themselves or others, or you are in danger, contact your local emergency services, then report it.
Ages and the two seas
Sea Pals is for people aged 13 and over (16 in Australia, 14 in South Korea). Teens and adults have separate seas. Be your real age, and don’t help anyone into a sea they don’t belong in. If someone seems younger than 18 in the adult sea, or seems to be an adult in the teen sea, report it from their card, a letter or a chat.
No scams, no selling
No spam, ads, money requests, gifts for favours or anything illegal.
Report and block
If something feels wrong, report it from the person’s card, a letter or a chat. We don’t tell them who reported them, and a person reads each report. You can block anyone at any time, and they can no longer reach you in the app.
What happens after
A message that breaks a rule is stopped with a gentle note on how to fix it. Some clear cases are paused automatically until a person looks. Repeated or serious problems pause the sea for the person, then close their account; the most serious close it straight away. You can ask for a second look.