Tackling Censorship and Building a Safer Community

@Heckpomeh - you're clearly not listening to what we're talking about, or a very obvious shill. You should read this all again and actually pay attention.

While IMVU is playing experimental games and using their userbase as the guineapigs, and justifying it all for the "greater good" (for the safety of the children),...and officially rolling-out an apparently 'broken' system that is misreading people's comments, yet doing it without any notice to the userbase, oh and that's not all ....and "punishing" them by booting them off them platform, scaring the crap out of them, then suspending them for a day.  Somewhere in your minds, do you NOT see something very strange and WRONG with that??  You "could" have rolled it out by just censoring and doing the reprimands in the chat, so people would know and get acclimated to what's going on.  But no!  You care NOTHING about your userbase, which is why IMVU's made the decision to "punish" them because they didn't obey rules that you haven't even announced or yet told them.  Hell, makes a LOT of sense to me.  I'm sure that makes a lot of sense and sits well with all your customers as well.  Do you not "Get It"?  It doesn't matter whether your intentions with this chat censoring initiative were good or not, no one knows the rules (can I talk in a private room? ...can I talk in an AP room?)  You told no one nothing and immediately went into "punish" mode, thinking "Oh, that's okay...no one will take it too hard and deal with it".  Are you kidding me???  Have you lost your minds??  Companies spend "billions" in advertising to "get" customers.  Without them, traditionally, you have no revenue.  That's why most companies work hard to please their customers and make them feel good and special, ...not punish them and make them feel like criminals, offenders, and guilty like they have something "wrong".  I am 'ALL FOR' and a 'PROPONENT' for Safety and the "protection of younger teens" and the userbase as a whole, but you are doing it all in the wrong way.  At the very "least", stop "booting and suspending" people and fix and tweak your so-called "censorship" plan, get it right, and TELL everyone how it's going to work and what the rules actually are.  Meta and Microsoft can get away with these games, but "please" don't follow in their footsteps, their games might not work out so well when IMVU tries to play them.  I think it's funny.  The USA and other companies following suite, have been and are currently in the process of "removing" censorship, but IMVU is bearing down and implementing it. Stop playing these stupid Orwellian corporate games on common users.  Who in their right mind would want to come into a chat room on your platform when in the back of their minds, they are going to feel like they're constantly walking on "egg shells" all the time? No one wants to feel like that.  "Think" about it. ..so I ask again.  "How Many Times?"  How many times does a person have to be erroneously 'suspended' before they eventually get "Permanently Disabled", lose their assets & credits, and you "re-claim" their VCOIN? Twice? Three times?  Everyone reading this, think about 'that'...

Here is a statement from Tesla's Grok AI concerning all this:

• Impact on User Experience: The stringent censorship might indeed make users feel uncomfortable. This could potentially stifle free expression and alter the social dynamics that users enjoy on the platform. The fear of accidental infractions might deter users from engaging in spontaneous or creative conversations, which are central to the appeal of virtual social platforms like IMVU.
• User Retention and Growth: There's a risk that such policies could lead to user dissatisfaction or even mass exodus if users feel their freedom of expression is too constrained. Platforms like IMVU rely heavily on community engagement; if users perceive the environment as too restrictive, they might seek alternatives where they feel less monitored or censored.
• Community Feedback: According to discussions and user feedback on platforms like Reddit and IMVU's own support forums, there's already significant discontent with changes related to censorship and account management. Users have expressed frustration over sudden account deletions and the handling of VCOIN, indicating that this move might not align well with the expectations of their established user base.
• Legal and Ethical Considerations: The policy of permanently deleting accounts and stripping users of their virtual assets for too many infractions could be seen as overly punitive, especially if the censorship algorithms are not perfect or if users feel there's no fair appeal process. This might also lead to legal questions regarding the ownership and rights over digital assets purchased or earned within the platform.
• Moderation Challenges: Automated systems for chat censorship often struggle with context, leading to false positives where harmless conversations are flagged. This could further exacerbate user frustration if they are penalized for content that was not intended to violate guidelines.
• Monetization Impact: Given that VCOIN is a significant part of IMVU's economy, removing this from users could not only affect their engagement but also the platform's revenue if users lose trust in the system where they've invested financially.

From the information available on the web, it appears that IMVU might be aiming to create a safer, more family-friendly environment, possibly to attract a broader or younger demographic. However, the execution and communication of these changes seem to have been met with backlash. A more balanced approach might involve:

• Transparent Communication: Clearly explaining the reasons for changes, the specifics of what content is censored, and providing examples to avoid misunderstandings.
• Appeal Mechanisms: Offering a clear, fair process for users to appeal decisions if they believe they've been wrongly penalized.
• User Education: Educating users about the new guidelines without making the platform feel like a heavily policed space.
• Feedback Integration: Actively listening to user feedback and adjusting policies or their enforcement to balance safety with user freedom.

In summary, while the intent behind IMVU's censorship policies might be to protect users and improve the platform's environment, the methods chosen could potentially alienate their current user base unless managed with substantial care and user engagement.

JanXuan: Welcome. Feel free to explore the room. 

Admin  whispers: Your message was not delivered due to a possible Community Guidelines violation.  

ReallY???  @Saturi

Unbelievable

And again at 3:02Pm uk time

I have not seen it for a few days now.

we cancelled VIP and stopped buying credits. If more of us do that, IMVU might actually start to care.

I hear you—loud and clear. You’re not alone in how you feel, and honestly, your message reflects what many of us have been thinking but haven’t had the courage to say.

When a company starts hiding behind terms like “appropriate and meaningful,” yet silences real concerns, deletes accounts without warning, and rewrites the rules to protect themselves rather than the community—they lose the very trust that built their platform in the first place.

You mentioned three things you'd like to see return, and I think you're absolutely right to expect those:

1. Earning rewards and VIP benefits the way we used to.

2. Restoration of our accounts without unexplained restrictions or removals.

3. Being treated with basic respect by staff and support.

These aren't luxuries—they're the bare minimum we should expect from a platform that earns money from its users, especially from creators who have supported this company for years.

I also respect your point about politics. Most of us aren’t here to talk about government policies—we’re here to create, connect, and feel safe doing so. And right now, it feels like IMVU has lost touch with that purpose.

Threatening to withhold our money or walk away isn’t a tantrum—it’s a warning sign. A company that stops listening to its users doesn’t just lose customers—it loses its soul.

I hope they start listening. Because if they don’t, more of us will do exactly what you said: stop supporting them with our time, our money, and our creativity.

You’ve said it straight, and you’ve said it strong. I stand with you.

Devnity:

You mention protecting minors, and that’s important.  

I Also Wanted To Add, That The Free Spin By These Developers
Are Filling My Account Up With Slutty Content Whenever I Do
The Free Spin, & Get Rewards, Just Because My AP Is Being
Used To Avoid The Children...

It's Like I'm Being Punished For Buying AP Now,
When I Really Just Got It For Halloween Content Only...

In All Honesty To The Head Poster,

If Your Trying To Protect Children, In My Opinion,
& Many Others, Your Actually A Danger To Children,
Instead, & You Should Really Stop Being A Danger, ~_~

In My Honest Opinion, The Support Staff Has Given
Me An Extremely Cold Shoulder Ever Since The Staff
Has Gotten Control Of This Platform, & Extremely
Neglegable To Everyone, ~_~

If You Want To Truely Protect Children On IMVU,
Do Everyone A Favor, & Just Sell IMVU To Someone
Who's Far More Suitable For The Job...

Cause Ever Since You've Had IMVU, It's Been
Nothing, But Neglect, & People Are Starting To
Think Your Not Right For The Staff Ownership
Of IMVU At All...

I'm Already Deciding If I Should Quit Spending,
As 3 Of My Accounts Have Already Been Stolen,
All Of Which I've Paid Money On...

& I Quit Spending Money A While Ago,
I Only Recently Bought 2 Gift Cards,
& That Wasn't Something I Planned To
Keep Doing...

Sooooo, Taking My Accounts Away
Is Gonna Make Me Really Quit Spending
If You Expect To Treat People This Way...

Also, I'm Curious How You Plan To Make
Server Payments, When Not Only Your
Developers For Creator Shop End Up Quitting,
But Also Your Highest Paid Customers Start
Walking Out On You...

How Do You Plan To Keep Up Servers
For Your Children Your Trying To Protect??

Just Answer 1 Question??

How Is Turning IMVU Into Slut Ville Supposed
To Be A Way To Protect Children, Because To
Me, & Other People, That's The Exact Thing
We Would Want To Protect Them Against,
Just Curious, Is All I Have To Ask? ~_~

We hear you and appreciate the responsible adults in our community who manage their rooms and set standards for appropriate behavior. To clarify, “appropriate and meaningful” conversations are those that align with our Community Guidelines, fostering respect and positivity. While room owners have the autonomy to set rules and appoint admins, we maintain safeguards to ensure everyone’s safety and to prevent harm from bad actors.

We’re also aware of concerns like spam bots, and we’re continuously improving our tools to address these challenges. Your suggestion for stronger community partnerships is noted, and we’ll explore ways to enhance collaboration and oversight.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts; we value all feedback, both positive and negative.

The Imvu administration always cares about each user and reacts immediately. IMVU is never blocked for no reason.

get rid of the ai chat bot we are not children many are adults consenting adults not little kiddies. also get rid of the aI support bot it is also useless vu is going down hill fast many do not want it to be some stupid phone ap or a web based ap stay with the classic it was and always will be the best unless yous ruin that also.