We put trust and safety at the center of our operations, and this past year, we have strengthened security measures for members and Papa Pals even further. Even though 99.97% of our visits today have no member-reported safety concerns, we are committed to getting even better.
Trust & Safety at Papa
Discover how Papa has raised the bar for what it means to be a safe and trusted companion care platform.
Papa’s inaugural transparency report
An ongoing company-wide commitment
Papa prioritizes trust and safety as it facilitates thousands of human interactions daily. We provide comprehensive safety measures before, during, and after every visit, continually advancing our practices to safeguard members and Papa Pals, including:
Background checks
Papa performs the strictest background checks allowed by law for all Papa Pals prior to them gaining access to our platform. We receive thousands of data points from municipal, county, state, and federal agencies:
- 3,300+ government sources
- 900+ arrest sources
- 2,900+ incarceration sources
- 85+ sex offender record sources
- 450+ warrant sources
- 220+ Global Watch List sources
In addition to standard automated procedures, we’ve added a manual review process by qualified experts. Papa conducts annual re-checks, in addition to continuous criminal and motor vehicle record monitoring of all active Papa Pals to ensure we are notified of any disqualifying offenses that may occur in between annual screenings.
Papa Pal identity verification
Following a world-class standard similar to that used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Papa confirms driver’s license validity and expiration status, while analyzing a live selfie to confirm each prospective Papa Pal’s identity.
Papa Pal training and onboarding
All Papa Pals are required to complete an expanded custom-made training program, developed in partnership with The Purple Method, prior to taking any visits on our platform. Papa Pals are encouraged to visit, bookmark, and review the general information, educational guides, and videos in Papa Pal Central, a one-stop information center that Papa continually updates. Since its debut in May 2023, Papa Pal Central has been visited over 123,000 times. Additionally, Papa Pals must agree to Papa’s Visit Standards before accepting every visit.
Member web experience
Papa members have easy access to a one-stop-shop where they can view visit details, including their Papa Pal’s name and vehicle information, to ensure they’re prepared for each visit.
Visit safety
Papa provides robust support during visits, which allows both members and Papa Pals to feel safe and secure. These features on the Papa platform include:
- Digital in-app Papa Pal identification badges so members can confirm their Papa Pal’s identity.
- Consistent masked phone numbers for both Papa Pals and members to add a layer of security to every interaction. After a successful initial pilot, Papa is now rolling this feature out more broadly.
- Immediate emergency assistance directly in the Papa Pal app from trained, real-life agents with our partner Noonlight. In the event a Papa Pal or their member needs immediate assistance and calling 911 is not possible, Pals can request emergency support with a single click in the app and receive a response within 15 seconds.
- Continuous real-time visit monitoring via geolocation technology and continuous monitoring of visit feedback from members and Papa Pals for situations that violate our standards or seem irregular, such as visits that lasted longer than expected and transportation that was not reported. All incidents are thoroughly investigated and may lead to disciplinary action, which can range from education to removal from the program entirely.
Every interaction matters
Serious safety issues on the Papa platform are incredibly rare, but even one is too many. Each incident matters because it affects someone in our community. Our commitment to safety is ongoing, and we continually strive to improve.
Incident-free visits
99.8%
of visits go without a member- or Papa Pal-reported reported safety incident.
Prepared for any situation
99.7%
of recently trained Papa Pals reported feeling prepared.
High satisfaction
4.8
out of 5 stars is the average rating members give their Papa Pals.
