LAM - Parent Guide

This page explains, in plain terms, what LAM is, what a stranger can do on it, and what you can actually do to protect a child who uses it. LAM's minimum age to hold an account is 16.

The one thing to understand first

Anyone with a link to a LAM page can send a voice message to it — anonymously, with no account and no sign-in. The person receiving the message is not told who sent it. If your child's LAM page link is shared anywhere public (social media bio, a group chat, a public post), any stranger who finds that link can leave them a message, and LAM has no way to identify or verify who that stranger is.

What LAM does and does not do about this

LAM does not listen to, read, or monitor messages. This is a deliberate privacy choice — the same privacy that protects your child's own messages also means we do not have staff or systems reviewing content before it is delivered. Because of this, LAM cannot catch an inappropriate message before it arrives; a message reaches the recipient's inbox directly the moment it is sent.

What we can do is act on a report. The in-app Report button is the real control here: once a message is reported, it is reviewed and, once it meets our removal threshold, it is removed completely — not just hidden from view. Content that looks like child sexual abuse material or an immediate safety threat is escalated and can be removed faster than an ordinary report. There is currently no appeal process if a message or account is removed. In short: because we protect privacy by not monitoring messages, our protection is reactive rather than preventive — reporting is what makes removal happen, so it should never be skipped or delayed.

One more important fact: a recipient can choose to make any message they receive public with a shareable link. If your child does this with a message they received, that message can then be seen by anyone holding that link, and it cannot be taken back once it has been shared and copied elsewhere.

Concrete steps you can take

• Turn on Private Mode. In account settings, a Recipient can set their profile to private, which limits who can find and send to their page. Do this before sharing the page link anywhere. This is free for account holders aged 16 and 17.
• Turn on Lock Mode. This closes the inbox so no new messages can be left at all, adding a layer of control beyond a public page. Also free for account holders aged 16 and 17.
• Report anything inappropriate immediately. Open the message, use the report option, and report it — don't wait, since removal depends on reports coming in. If the content is severe (sexual content involving a minor, a direct threat), use the "Report illegal content" option, which is escalated to us urgently rather than waiting on the normal report count. You can also email us directly.
• Block the sender. Any received message has a Block option, which stops that sender reaching your child again. Senders are anonymous, so this blocks the device and network they used — it may not stop someone determined to get around it, but it stops casual repeat contact.
• Delete or suspend the account if needed. Email us from the email address linked to the account (or otherwise show you're the account owner or a parent/guardian acting for a minor) and request deletion. The profile and messages are hidden right away; the underlying data is fully removed from our systems shortly after.
• Do not share the profile link publicly. The single biggest control a family has is simply not posting the LAM link somewhere a stranger can find it — share it only with people your child actually knows, if at all.

Using iOS Screen Time — Coming soon!

We're working on direct in-app guidance and controls for iOS Screen Time. In the meantime, because LAM allows unmoderated, anonymous contact from strangers, we recommend treating it like other social apps when setting up Screen Time on your child's device:

• Use Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions to require your approval before the app can be installed or before in-app purchases (subscription upgrades) can be made.
• Use App Limits to control how much time is spent on LAM per day.
• Check the app's age rating in the App Store listing before allowing installation, and treat that rating as a real signal — not just a formality — given that LAM involves unscreened messages from the public.

Talking to your child

A short, honest conversation goes further than any setting. Points worth covering:

• Anyone who has their LAM link can send them a message — even someone they've never met.
• They should never feel obligated to listen to or respond to a message that makes them uncomfortable — reporting and ignoring it is always the right move.
• They should not make a message they received public without thinking about who might end up hearing it, since that choice can't be undone.
• If a message is threatening, sexual, or otherwise disturbing, they should tell you or another trusted adult right away, in addition to reporting it in the app.

The honest limits of what LAM can promise

LAM cannot verify who is sending a message, cannot confirm a sender's age, and cannot screen a message before it is delivered. Moderation depends on people reporting content, which means something inappropriate may be visible for a period of time before it is removed. If your child's LAM account is receiving harassment or content that concerns you, please act on it directly using the steps above rather than assuming the app will catch it automatically.

Contact

For account deletion, urgent safety concerns, or any question about how LAM handles a specific situation, email us in contact page.