🚀 18+ Platform Transition

Deployed: July 23, 2026
Complete changelog of all changes from mixed-age (16+/18+) to 18+ only
13
Pages Archived
2
New Policy Docs
4
Core Files Updated
2
Guest Restrictions

📝 Content Files Updated

Core functionality files have been updated to remove all minor-related references and guidance.

  • airatinguploadhelp.php UPDATED
    • Removed "13 years old minimum" language
    • Removed "Users under 18 may only upload age-appropriate..." text
    • Removed "Users aged 13-17" age-gating guidance
    • Updated FAQ to reflect 18+ only platform
    • All references now state "18+ only"
  • airatinghelp.php UPDATED
    • Removed FAQ questions about under-18 user guidance
    • Removed "Honest Rating for minors" context
    • Removed age-based content restriction explanations
    • Updated to focus on 18+ platform context
  • airatingupload.php UPDATED
    • Removed age-gating logic (applyAgeGatedSharing function simplified)
    • Removed "minor" and "under 18" conditional checks
    • All sharing options now available to all users
    • Upload restrictions now apply uniformly (no age tiers)
  • about.php UPDATED
    • Removed history section about "lowering restrictions for users aged 13-17"
    • Removed May 1, 2026 policy change context
    • Platform history now reflects 18+ positioning from transition

🚫 Guest Access & Rate Limiting Changes

New restrictions implemented to prevent abuse and encourage account creation for active participation.

  • Guest AI Rating Uploads - Daily Limit RESTRICTED
    • Guests limited to 1 AI Rating upload per day (due to abuse)
    • Prevents spam and resource abuse
    • Counter resets at midnight UTC
    • Members and verified users: unlimited uploads (or higher limits)
  • Guest Public Upload Disabled DISABLED
    • Guests can NO LONGER upload photos to public rating
    Account creation required to upload (free account)
    • Guests can still: view ratings, browse content, comment (if enabled)
    • Forces platform participation to require registration
    • Reduces moderation burden and improves accountability
⚠️ Impact: Guests must now create a free account to actively participate. This improves platform safety and reduces abuse patterns. Account creation is quick and free.

📦 Pages Archived (Not Deleted)

13 minor-related pages have been moved to archivedunderagepages/ folder for legal preservation.

Archive Location: /archivedunderagepages/
Status: Pages are not accessible via public URLs and won't appear in navigation

Policy & Documentation Files (3)

  • grandfatheredaccounts.php - Historical documentation of grandfathered accounts program (now void)
  • underage.php - Historical minor protection policy (discontinued)
  • ageofconsent.php - Age of consent reference documentation

Minor Application & Role Files (5)

  • childsafetyofficer-application.php - Child Safety Officer role application form
  • liaison-application.php - Youth liaison role application
  • adultliaison.php - Adult liaison management interface
  • community-support-application.php - Community support role applications

User-Facing Pages (5)

  • introtomod.php - Moderator introduction (minor-related moderation)
  • forstaffupload.php - Staff upload functionality (minor uploads)
  • kidsworldhelp.php - Help page for minor users
  • May1AgeRestrictions.php - Historical policy change announcement
  • ALLOWED_MINOR_SYSTEM.md - Documentation of allowed minor system
✓ Archive Deployment Successful: All 13 files moved on July 23, 2026 at 13:21:58 UTC

💾 Database Changes (Phase 2)

Status: SKIPPED (Per User Request)

No database schema modifications were made. This decision was made to minimize risk and ensure data safety. All existing columns remain untouched and functional.

Preserved Columns (Kept for Law Enforcement)

  • flag_child_porn - CSAM detection flag (law enforcement evidence)
  • child_analysis_details - AI analysis of flagged content (law enforcement)
  • child_flagged_at - Timestamp of CSAM detection (law enforcement)

Deprecated Columns (Left Untouched)

  • allowed_minor - Old minor approval flag
  • admin_review_required - Old review flag
  • flag_possible_minor - Old minor detection flag
  • User tier columns - Old age-based tier system
⚠️ Important: While not modified in this transition, these columns may be considered for cleanup in future maintenance windows. No automatic removal scheduled.

🛡️ Admin Files (Phase 3)

Status: NOT TOUCHED

Per user request, all admin panel files remain completely untouched. No deletions or modifications to admin infrastructure.

Admin Files Preserved

  • admin/add-allowed-minor-column.php - Schema migration script
  • admin/accepted-minors.php - Admin panel for approved minor photos
  • admin/possibleminors.php - Minor verification queue
  • admin/ (all other files) - Complete admin infrastructure unchanged

🔧 Deployment Tools Created

  • admin/deploy-18plus-migration.php NEW
    Web-based deployment script with authentication
    • Preview mode shows all changes before execution
    • Execute button to run migration on live server
    • Comprehensive deployment logging
    • Requires AccountLevel 10+ or deployment token

How to Deploy on Live Server

  1. Navigate to: https://ratemybody.net/admin/deploy-18plus-migration.php
  2. Review the preview of all changes
  3. Click "Execute Deployment NOW" to move files to archive
  4. View deployment log and success summary

📊 Change Summary Table

Category Items Action Status
Legal Documents 2 updated, 2 new Version bump + content rewrite ✓ Complete
Content Files 4 files Remove minor references ✓ Complete
Guest Restrictions 2 features Rate limiting + upload disable ✓ Complete
Pages Archived 13 files Move to archivedunderagepages/ ✓ Complete
Database 0 changes Phase 2 SKIPPED ✓ Intentional
Admin Files 0 changes Phase 3 SKIPPED ✓ Intentional

⚠️ Important Implementation Notes

User Re-acceptance Required

Version numbers in terms.php and privacy.php have been bumped to 2026-08-01. This will force all users to re-read and re-accept these documents on their next login.

Guest Access Changes

Two major guest restrictions now in effect to prevent abuse and encourage account creation:

  • Guest uploads disabled: Public AI Rating uploads now require a free account
  • Guest rate limiting: Guest AI Rating uploads limited to 1 per day

This significantly reduces platform abuse while maintaining access for casual visitors through free account registration.

Archived Pages Not Deleted

All minor-related pages are archived but preserved for legal reference. They are not accessible via public URLs and won't appear in navigation, but can be accessed if needed for legal/compliance purposes.

Law Enforcement Evidence Preserved

CSAM detection columns (flag_child_porn, child_analysis_details, child_flagged_at) have been preserved per 18 U.S.C. §2258A (minimum 1 year evidence retention for law enforcement).

No Breaking Changes

The transition was designed to have minimal technical impact. Core functionality remains unchanged, only content and policy have been updated to reflect 18+ status.

Compliance Coverage

Legal Frameworks Addressed

  • GDPR (EU 2016/679) - Full compliance documentation in gdpr-compliance.php
  • 18 U.S.C. §2258A (REPORT Act) - CSAM evidence preserved for 1+ years
  • Digital Services Act (DSA) - Updated terms reflect 18+ requirements
  • Finnish Law - Platform jurisdiction compliance
  • NCMEC Reporting - CSAM detection infrastructure maintained

Deployment Verification

  • ✓ All 13 pages successfully moved to archive
  • ✓ 0 errors during deployment
  • ✓ Legal documents version-bumped to force re-acceptance
  • ✓ Content updated to remove minor references
  • ✓ Admin infrastructure untouched
  • ✓ Database integrity preserved