Screening Data Policy
The rules for anyone who uses the screening portal.
- Version 1.0
- Effective October 29, 2026
- For: Everyone who holds a role that can use screening.teamala.org
In short
- Look up only people applying to, or under review in, your own community.
- Findings are facts, not verdicts.
- Nothing leaves TeamALA: no copies, no screenshots, no sharing.
- You must be an adult.
- Every lookup you make is logged.
You must accept this policy before screening works for you. We ask you again whenever it changes, and we record which version you accepted and when.
Who may screen
You must be 18 or older and an adult where you live. Your community must have given you the screening permission. You act for your community, and you must follow its instructions and this policy.
Whom you may look up
2.1 Only people who are applying to, waiting to join, or under review in your own community.
2.2 Never:
- (a) out of curiosity;
- (b) members of a rival group;
- (c) someone you have a personal dispute with;
- (d) for another community; or
- (e) for anyone outside your community's staff.
2.3 Your community must have shown its applicant notice (Community Agreement, section 3.4) before you screen anyone.
How to read results
3.1 Each check is marked observed, not observed, not checked or unavailable, with its source and time. "Not checked" and "unavailable" are not clean results.
3.2 Never call anyone "safe" or "unsafe" because of screening. Never decide on one source alone. People can share names, accounts can be compromised, and records can be wrong.
3.3 Records from Okappiki belong to Okappiki. Keep the credit to Okappiki and its appeal route (okappiki.com) attached whenever you discuss one. Some records describe alleged wrongdoing, which is not proof.
3.4 Take extra care with anything about a child. Never discuss a child's record in a public channel.
Keep it inside TeamALA
4.1 Do not copy, screenshot, export, print or record findings or partner records.
4.2 Do not share them with anyone outside your community's staff who need to know for the vetting decision, and never in public channels or on social media.
4.3 Your community may keep its own short record of its decision: the date, the outcome and your own words. That record must not contain any partner record and must not be a screenshot.
Never for eligibility decisions
Never use screening for employment, credit, insurance, housing, or any other purpose covered by the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Your own information
TeamALA logs every lookup you make: your account, your community, the account looked up, and the time. We keep the log for 90 days. Your community's owners, Leadership and parent communities can see it, and TeamALA staff can see it to investigate a report. This is how misuse is caught.
Reporting problems
If you see misuse, or think information has leaked, tell your community's owner and TeamALA (teamala.org/report) within 24 hours.
Consequences
Breaking this policy can lead to:
- (a) losing the screening permission;
- (b) your account being closed;
- (c) your community being suspended; and
- (d) where someone's life or safety is at risk, TeamALA telling the authorities.