OutaStory's youth-protection model has three layers, all built
around the German age-rating bands.
Layer 1 — Per-story age rating
Every published story carries a minimum age rating set by the
author and verified during moderation. Five rating bands:
| Band | Minimum age | Typical content |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | All ages | Bedtime stories, picture-book companions. |
| 6+ | 6 years | Adventure, light fantasy. Mild peril. |
| 12+ | 12 years | Coming-of-age, fantasy, mystery. Themes only. |
| 16+ | 16 years | Strong themes (loss, violence, romance). |
| 18+ | 18 years | Adult content. |
Layer 2 — Anonymous browsing cap
Visitors who are not signed in only see all-ages content — stories
rated 12+ and below. The catalogue surfaces a "sign in for the
full library" banner at the top so adult readers know what's
hidden.
Layer 3 — Your age, from your birthday
When you sign in, OutaStory works out your age from the birthday
on your profile, and the library opens up to the ratings that suit
that age. There's no separate password to set — your account already
knows how old you are.
Parental consent for under-16s
German law sets the threshold for a child's own consent at 16. A
verifiable parental-consent step for younger accounts has been built but
is not switched on — there is no such screen in OutaStory today, and
nothing for a parent to confirm. We will document it here when it is
actually in use rather than describe it in advance.
In the meantime, the protections above — the per-story rating, the
not-signed-in cap, and the age worked out from your birthday — apply to
everyone.