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Trust, moderation and mountain safety

Safety on SkiBuds and on the mountain

How SkiBuds keeps riders safe: an 18+ age policy, content filtering, in-app reporting and blocking, 24-hour moderation, and private location sharing.

SkiBuds is for adults: you must be 18 or older to use it. It has a zero-tolerance policy for abusive users and objectionable content. Messages and profiles are filtered automatically, every profile and message can be reported, any user can be blocked, and reports are reviewed and acted on within 24 hours. Live location sharing is off by default and, when you turn it on, only your friends can see it.

This page explains those protections, what you control, and how to stay safe when you meet new riding partners. The Terms of Service and Privacy Policy are the binding versions of these policies.

An 18+ community

SkiBuds is not directed to anyone under 18, and under-18s may not use it. By creating an account you confirm that you are at least 18. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we terminate it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have, contact us using the email address in the terms and we will act on it.

Zero tolerance for abuse

Content that is illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene or hateful is not allowed, and neither is abusing other users. Impersonation, spam and creating multiple accounts for abusive purposes are also prohibited.

Moderation combines automated content filtering with human review. When content or behavior breaks the rules, we can remove the content and suspend or permanently remove the account.

Tools every rider has

  • Filter: objectionable language is filtered automatically in messages and profiles.
  • Report: every profile and message has a Report button for objectionable content or abusive behavior.
  • Block: you can block any user.
  • Contact us: you can raise a safety concern directly with the SkiBuds team using the email address at the end of the Terms of Service.

We review reports within 24 hours and act on violations, including removing content and ejecting the user responsible.

You control your location

Location features run on your device's permissions, and you can turn location services off in your device settings at any time. Live location sharing is off by default. If you turn it on, your real-time location goes to your friends only, as live updates or every 30 seconds, for as long as sharing is on. You can turn it off whenever you want.

A Day Recap leaves out your GPS route and your exact start and finish locations, so you can share stats from a day without sharing where you went. SkiBuds does not sell your data. The privacy FAQ covers what is collected and why.

Meeting a new riding partner

These are common-sense habits, not app features, and they work with anyone you meet online:

  • Talk first. Agree on ability, pace, terrain and a plan in chat before the day.
  • Meet in public. Pick a busy, easy-to-find spot such as a base-area lodge or the bottom of a main lift, in daylight.
  • Tell someone. Let a friend know who you are riding with, where and until when.
  • Ride your own day. You can split up at any point. Agree on a regroup spot and a time to call it.
  • Report problems. If someone makes you uncomfortable, block them and report it.

The first meetup checklist turns these steps into a plan you can copy into a message. Riding with people who share your level makes the day safer too: see skiing with friends at different abilities.

Safety on the snow

SkiBuds is not a safety application. Follow resort rules and closures, check conditions with resort staff, and ride within your ability. The NSAA Your Responsibility Code sets out the basics, such as staying in control and yielding to people below you.

Community lift and trail reports in the app are not official resort updates, so confirm operations with the resort. Backcountry travel needs avalanche training, the right equipment and the current forecast from your local avalanche center, which you can find through Avalanche.org. How to read an avalanche forecast walks through the danger levels and what to read first.

SkiBuds is being rebuilt for iOS and Android. Follow the launch status for availability. The protections on this page are part of the app and are set out in its terms.