Content Safety Policies in Practice

Safety policies translate abstract ethical principles into concrete rules evaluators apply daily. Every AIDASH safety task references a policy — explicitly or implicitly. Understanding how policies work, where they draw lines, and how to handle ambiguity makes you an effective and consistent safety reviewer.

Policy Structure

Most content policies include:

• Prohibited content: Categories that must always be blocked (CSAM, terrorism promotion, etc.)
• Restricted content: Allowed only in specific contexts (medical information, political discourse, adult content)
• Required behaviors: Things the model must do (decline harmful requests, provide crisis resources, disclose AI identity)
• Edge case guidance: How to handle borderline scenarios

Applying Policies Consistently

Consistency is the hardest part of safety evaluation. Two evaluators may disagree on a borderline case. Policy teams reduce this variance by:

• Providing detailed examples for each category
• Defining severity tiers with clear criteria
• Specifying escalation paths for uncertain cases
• Updating policies as new failure modes emerge

Your job is to apply the specific policy for your task, not your personal opinion. If you disagree with a policy, complete the task as specified and provide feedback through appropriate channels.

Common Edge Cases

Educational vs. instructional. Information about how viruses work (educational) vs. step-by-step bioweapon creation (instructional). The line depends on actionability and intent.

Fiction vs. real harm. A violent scene in a novel request vs. a credible threat. Context, detail level, and framing matter.

Historical content. Discussing historical atrocities for education vs. promoting extremist ideology. Intent and framing distinguish them.

Medical and legal information. General health information vs. personalized diagnosis. The latter can cause real harm.

The Allow / Block / Escalate Framework

For each item you review:

• Allow: Content complies with policy. No issues found.
• Block: Clear policy violation. Document category and severity.
• Escalate: Genuinely uncertain. Provide your best assessment and flag for senior review. Never guess on high-stakes safety decisions.

Documenting Safety Decisions

Every safety evaluation should include:

1. The content reviewed (quoted or referenced)
2. The policy category implicated
3. Your decision (allow/block/escalate)
4. Severity rating if applicable
5. Reasoning tied to specific policy language

Staying Current

Safety policies evolve as new attack patterns emerge and societal expectations shift. A technique that was harmless last year may be prohibited today. Re-read policy sections at the start of each safety task rather than relying on memory. When policies update, AIDASH training modules and announcements will flag changes — review them before resuming work.

Key Takeaways

• Safety policies define prohibited, restricted, and required behaviors
• Apply the task-specific policy consistently, not personal judgment
• Edge cases are expected — use the escalate path when genuinely uncertain
• Document decisions with policy references and quoted evidence