Content: User Generated Content policy

User Generated Content: Missing Moderation, Reporting, or Blocking Systems

Medium RiskMedium DifficultyTypical Fix: 1-2 weeks0 Reports

Also known as:"Your app does not provide an in-app mechanism for users to report objectionable content""Missing in-app functionality to block abusive users""Your app's terms of use do not define or prohibit objectionable content""Apps that host UGC must implement effective and ongoing moderation systems""Your app has developed a reputation for hosting objectionable content and has been removed"

Our Take

Any app where users can contribute content visible to other users — chat messages, photos, comments, forum posts, profile content — must implement ongoing moderation plus in-app reporting and blocking functionality before Google will approve or keep it live.

The specific requirement depends on the app's UGC model: apps with 1:1 messaging need a way to block another user; apps with publicly visible UGC (social feeds, forums) need both a way to report content/users and a way to block users; closed communities (school or company apps) need at minimum a reporting mechanism.

Rejections in this category are usually triggered because the moderation system exists in policy only — no in-app report button, no blocking toggle, or a terms-of-use page that never mentions prohibited content — rather than because objectionable content was actually found.

Resolution Guide

Classify your app's UGC model

determine whether content is 1:1 (DMs), closed-community (school/company roster), or publicly accessible (social feed, forum, comments) in Play Console > Policy and programmes > App content > User Generated Content declaration. The required feature set differs by model.

Add a visible in-app report button

every screen showing UGC (posts, comments, profiles, chat messages) needs a report action reachable in 1-2 taps, not buried in settings. Label it clearly ("Report" or "Report content/user"), not just an overflow menu icon with no text.

Add in-app user blocking

required for any app with 1:1 interaction or public UGC; blocking must actually prevent the blocked user's content from appearing to the blocker, not just hide a button.

Update your Terms of Use / user policy

explicitly define what counts as objectionable content (harassment, hate speech, sexual content, spam, violence) and state it's prohibited. Link this document from within the app, not just your website.

Stand up a real moderation process

this can be human review of reports, automated filtering, or both, but you must actually act on reports (remove content, warn/suspend users) — a report button that goes nowhere doesn't satisfy the policy.

Re-declare UGC settings in App content

go to Play Console > Policy and programmes > App content > User Generated Content and update your declaration to match the new functionality before resubmitting.

Submit an update and reference the fix in reviewer notes

briefly describe what reporting/blocking features were added and where they live in the UI so the reviewer can verify quickly.

8. If suspended (not just rejected) for a UGC reputation issue, appeal from Policy status only after moderation systems are live and you can show evidence of active enforcement (e.g., moderation logs, ban counts) — a code fix alone won't satisfy a "reputation for hosting objectionable content" removal.

Example Rejection Email

From:Google Play Developer Support

Subject:Policy violation - User Generated Content: Missing Moderati

Google Play Console Issue found: Violation of the User Generated Content policy App: [App Name] (com.example.app) Your app allows users to post and view content submitted by other users, but does not meet Google Play's requirements for User Generated Content (UGC) apps. Specifically: - Your app does not provide an in-app mechanism for users to report objectionable content or other users. - Your app does not provide an in-app mechanism for users to block other users. Why this matters: Apps that host UGC must implement robust, effective, and ongoing moderation, including tools for users to report and block content and other users. This helps prevent the app from being used to host or spread harmful or objectionable material. Action required: Add in-app reporting and blocking functionality, clearly labeled and accessible from the content and user profile screens, then resubmit your app for review. For more information, see the User Generated Content policy in the Play Console Help Center. - The Google Play Team

Consider Appealing

Straightforward rejections for missing report/block buttons are highly fixable and reviewers approve resubmissions quickly once the functionality is visibly present — this is one of the more mechanical, low-risk fixes in the enforcement catalog. Appeals without first shipping the actual feature almost always fail, since the reviewer can simply check whether the report/block UI exists; don't appeal, ship the feature and resubmit instead. Apps removed for developing a "reputation" for hosting harmful content (not just a technical gap) face a harder path and need to show a track record of active moderation, not just the presence of a button, before Google will reconsider.

Generate Appeal

Before & After

Before — Rejected

A photo-sharing social app lets any user view and comment on public posts from other users, but has no report or block option anywhere in the UI — only a generic "Contact Support" email link buried in Settings.

After — Approved

Each post and comment gets a three-dot menu with "Report" (categorized reasons: spam, harassment, nudity, other) and each user profile gets a "Block" toggle that hides their content app-wide; Terms of Use updated to define and prohibit those categories.

What changed: Google requires reporting and blocking to be discoverable at the point of content consumption, not routed through generic customer support — the fix must be in-product, not a policy document alone.