Public answers and source boundaries

Recipient Safety, Follow-Up and Removal Requests

These current safeguards take effect when this accountability update is published. They apply to current and future work and are not presented as proof that every historical video or interaction followed the same process.

Scope of these current standards

These standards take effect when this accountability update is published. They apply to current and future work and are not presented as proof that every historical video or interaction followed the same process.

Safety, privacy, and follow-up

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens if a participant appears unable to understand the filming?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens if someone is heavily intoxicated?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens during an active psychiatric crisis?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Are exact locations published?

The nomination and review process may require exact information privately, but public transparency does not require publishing an unsafe location. Public descriptions may use a broader city, region, or generalized location when an exact residence, shelter, encampment, or sleeping location could create risk.

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Owner-confirmed current policy

How is visible cash handled?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens if a recipient fears theft?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens if someone is hiding from an abuser or stalker?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Are bystanders blurred?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Can participants request removal?

Correction and removal requests are reviewed individually. Valid safety, privacy, consent, or factual concerns may lead to changed content, reduced identifying detail, limited distribution, or removal. A request does not guarantee automatic removal.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Is there a response deadline?

Urgent safety and privacy concerns are reviewed as quickly as reasonably possible. Other requests are acknowledged and reviewed without a fixed deadline.

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Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens if a removal request is denied?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Are follow-up outcomes tracked?

Follow-up varies by story. Verified outcomes are documented when available and appropriate to publish, but not every interaction, private conversation, or later assistance becomes public.

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Owner-confirmed current policy

Does the team promise housing or long-term support in every story?

No. Follow-up and later assistance vary by person and story. Josh does not promise a fixed follow-up schedule, lifelong support, or the same level of contact for every participant.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Are recipients connected to social services?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

What happens when an intended outcome is unsuccessful?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

Are unsuccessful outcomes ever documented?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

How are private records stored?

Current policy: immediate safety and appropriate help take priority over publication. When meaningful permission is in doubt because of intoxication, confusion, medical impairment, or an acute mental-health crisis, footage should not be published unless permission can later be meaningfully confirmed. Story-specific safety and privacy decisions may vary.

Read the relevant record

Owner-confirmed current policy

How are minors handled?

A minor may be featured only with permission from a parent or legally authorized guardian. When age, authority, or guardian agreement is unclear, publication should be delayed until the issue is resolved.

Read the relevant record

What this website can and cannot establish

This site can describe the scope of its published records and link to the relevant canonical page. It cannot establish unshared private facts, make a blanket historical claim from one story, or replace a campaign-level review, qualified safety response, or legal advice.

Where a question needs owner confirmation, legal review, or privacy review, the public answer is deliberately limited.

Related public answers

How the videos workFundraiser and gift transparencyRecipient safety and follow-upSmall-business practicesOfficial accounts and scam warningCorrections and removal requestsSaint Paul public-record timeline