Is it safe to meet? How shofa.social keeps meetings in public

Before you meet

• Photos are taken by cafe staff, in the cafe, with live capture. Nobody can upload their own. Each photo shows where and when it was taken.
• Staff check a photo ID at the shoot to confirm every member is 18 or over. The ID isn't photographed or stored.
• Only people in the same cafe see each other. Signed-out visitors see cafe information only.
• Approaching without a wave breaks the house rules. Tell staff, who can ban the person from the cafe. Report them in the app with the reason Approached without a wave.
• Profiles have no names and phone numbers are never shown. Free-text fields reject numbers, emails, links and @handles.

During the meeting

• Meet only at the shofa table. It's in public, with other customers around.
• Bring a chaperone if you'd like. Switch on I'll bring a chaperone when you book. You can send them a read-only link to the booking.
• You can leave whenever you want. Nobody is owed a full slot. A set message like Have to cancel, sorry is enough.
• Tell staff if someone makes you uncomfortable. Staff can ban someone from their cafe.

After the meeting

• The app will ask one optional question about how it went. Whether you swap names or numbers is between the two of you, in person.
• Block anyone instantly from a profile, wave, match or booking. It works both ways and cancels anything open between you.
• Pause or delete your profile at any time. Deleting removes your profile and all your photos straight away.

Reports, bans and suspensions

The reasons you can choose when you report someone are not serious about marriage, approached without a wave, inappropriate behaviour in person, harassment, doesn't match their photos, may be under 18, or something else. The person reported is never told who reported them.

1. A cafe ban from staff, who log a reason, stops someone checking in at that cafe.
2. An automatic suspension follows for anyone banned at 2 or more cafes, or reported by 3 or more different people within 90 days, while the case is reviewed.
3. A permanent ban blocks that phone number from signing up again.

Report a concern, including if you're a parent, a cafe or not a member.

UK helplines

• 999In an emergency, if you or someone else is in danger now.
• 101Police, non-emergency.
• 116 123Samaritans, any time, free.
• 0808 2000 247National Domestic Abuse Helpline, free, 24 hours.
• 0800 999 5786Muslim Women's Network Helpline.
• 0808 808 2008Muslim Youth Helpline.

Questions about safety