Cloud Chat Projects

Hello,

We would like to let you know about a new policy about chat projects made with Scratch. Starting today, cloud variable chatroom projects will no longer be allowed.

Cloud chat projects use cloud variables to allow Scratchers to have text-based communication with each other. We’ve seen people occasionally make these on Scratch, and we have historically allowed them if they followed certain rules. But, over time, we’ve seen a growing number of Scratchers use these projects to try to get around the Community Guidelines. We’ve had a lot of discussions about these projects and we’ve concluded that they just aren’t able to work in a way that is safe and appropriate for Scratch.

We did not come to this conclusion lightly, but we feel that the safety of Scratchers is not something to be compromised. Going forward, we will no longer allow projects that include cloud-based chat functionality on Scratch. If you have already shared a project with cloud-based chat, we ask that you please unshare it or edit the project to remove the chat functionality.

FAQ

What do you consider to be a cloud chatroom project?

Any project that allows others to enter free text that can be read by someone else, or provides another means for people to communicate freely through a project.

Will my project with cloud-based chat functionality be removed?

We will be removing projects with cloud based chat, yes. If you wish to re-share the project, you will need to remove the chat functionality.

What do I do if I see a project with cloud chat?

We ask that you please use the report button to let us know.

What if my cloud chat uses a whitelist of acceptable words?

We will be removing all projects we see with cloud-chat functionality, even if they have whitelists.

What if I make a chat project that has other safeguards built in or rules listed in the instructions?

If others can type or enter their own responses, it still violates this policy.

What about projects that allow people to share emojis with each other, or that use a few pre-made sentences?

These are generally fine as long as they can't be used to share content that the people viewing the project can create themselves.

(This policy has been revised as of May 2023.)

Summary

Projects that let users chat using cloud variables are not allowed, even if they have filters or rules. Any project that lets users type their own messages must be removed. Simple communication features, like emojis or preset messages, are okay as long as users can’t type freely.