Pinterest launches Creator Code and new comment moderation tools to keep content positive, safe and inspiring

Pinterest is announcing the upcoming launch of the Creator Code, our content policy designed to keep Pinterest a positive and inspiring place. The Code will enforce the acceptance of guidelines before Creators can post Story Pins. This effort to mitigate negativity is a critical step in our journey to build a positive experience that adds lasting value to the lives of our more than 450 million users around the world.

The idea for the Creator Code emerged in the middle of 2020 — a year marked with a global pandemic, political and societal movements and riots around the world. In opposition to online media taking a dark turn alongside these events, ranging from health misinformation to political rhetoric to call-out culture, Pinterest continues to invest in keeping the platform safe and inspiring. On Pinterest, Creators have the unique opportunity to support and inspire people on their inspiration journeys with positive, inclusive and actionable ideas, during a time when they most need it.

“We’ve been building Pinterest for 11 years, and ever since our users routinely tell us that Pinterest is the ‘last positive corner of the internet’. In that time, we’ve also learned that you need to design positivity into online platforms as deliberately as much as you design negativity out. The Creator Code is a human-centric way for Creators to understand how to be successful on Pinterest while using their voice to keep Pinterest positive and inclusive.” -Evan Sharp, Co-Founder, Chief Design and Creative Officer, Pinterest

Creator Code Rules 

The Creator Code is a mandatory set of guidelines that lives within our product intended to educate and build community around making inclusive and compassionate content. It is intended to be proactive and empowering for Creators, rather than reactive and reprimanding. Creators with Story Pin access will be required to agree to the code during the publishing process, acknowledging their responsibility in keeping Pinterest safe and positive. The code outlines specific rules that Creators must follow, including:

• Be kind: Ensure content doesn’t insult or put others down
• Check my facts: Make sure information is accurate and factual
• Be aware of triggers: Practice discretion when it comes to visually sensitive content 
• Practice inclusion: Never intentionally exclude certain groups or communities
• Do no harm: Make sure any call to action or challenge is safe

Pinterest’s Creator Code anthem video features Creators from around the world and will be featured on Pinterest social channels and on Creator channels over the coming weeks. The Creator Code will be formally rolled out for Creators to sign and adopt in the coming weeks. 

“As a Creator, I work really hard to keep negativity off of my platform. That’s why I believe in Pinterest’s Creator Code and the message it sends, not just to Creators, but to the industry overall. The Code is one more step towards making the internet a better, more positive space for everyone, and gives us Creators what we need to be ourselves and to truly make a difference with our ideas in people’s lives. Experience shows that these boundaries are necessary and ultimately allow a healthy and inspired environment to evolve and grow" -GrossyPelosi, Pinterest Food Creator

Positivity goes both ways. In addition to asking Creators to create positive content, we’re also introducing several new tools and features designed to provide a safer experience for both Pinners and Creators, including:

• Positivity Reminders for Pinners to adhere to our guidelines and reconsider potentially offensive comments before posting
• Moderation Tools for Creators including comment removal and keyword filtering
• Creators can feature up to three comments within the comment feed to highlight positive feedback  
• New Spam Prevention Signals using machine learning to detect and remove bad comments

Creator Fund

Pinterest is also sharing details on its first-ever Creator Fund, a new program to elevate Creators from underrepresented communities through financial and educational support. The program, currently only available in the United States, was started because we saw a need to uplift Creators and communities that have been disproportionately underrepresented on the platform. For the first cohort, we partnered with Creators from diverse backgrounds, from the worlds of fashion, photography, food and travel. They went through training, creative strategy consulting, and received budget for content creation and ad credits. 

We’re on a journey to build a globally inclusive platform where Pinners around the world can discover ideas that feel personalized, relevant and reflective of who they are. This is also reinforced by our commitment to ensure that 50% of the Creators we work with come from underrepresented groups.

“There are so many things that we encounter on social media platforms that are not life affirming, and really dehumanizing. That is why I love the Creator Code – it really focuses on positivity and inclusion, and that doesn’t mean we don’t have to talk about difficult things. It means that we are not dehumanizing, it’s not tearing folks down, it’s not negatively oriented, it’s not an echo chamber of hate. That is what Pinterest and the Creator Code does – it is allowing us to humanize each other and that is really important.” Jonathan Van Ness, television personality, author and podcaster

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