eSAFETY GUIDE

Substack

13+
Minimum age according to Substack
13+ Minimum age according to Substack

What is Substack?

Substack is a subscription-based newsletter publishing platform for independent writers, journalists and content creators. You can start your own page or Substack by uploading text, images, video or audio. Substack can be used for feature articles, newsletters, podcasts, video diaries, reviews or any other type of content. Authors can choose to offer their content for free or charge a subscription.  

You can use Substack as a creator or as a subscriber or viewer. Your subscribers, whether you charge a fee or not, are automatically sent emails when you publish new content. As a creator you own the copyright for your work. Substack is free to use, but if you charge for your content the platform keeps a percentage of your earnings to meet operational costs, such as managing the payment system. You can also host private chats with your subscribers.

Substack has a hands-off approach to censorship and content moderation, but has guidelines against porn, hate speech and harassment. Discussion and debate are encouraged through nested comments beneath each post, chats and notes. Substack Notes are brief texts, images or videos that appear on your homepage and have a format similar to X. These notes can be used to tag another writer, share a quote or image or start a conversation.  

Substack is owned by Substack Inc and operated out of San Francisco in the United States.

Website: substack.com

Apps: Android app, Apple iOS app

How do people use Substack?

Learn more about the benefits and risks associated with how people use online publishing platforms like Substack.

Substack is used for: content creation, in-app purchasing, live streaming, messaging/online chat, photo/video sharing and screen capture.

How can you report online abuse, ask for content to be removed or block someone?

These links are provided by Substack:

How can you moderate comments and tagging?

This link is provided by Substack:

How can you protect your personal information?

These links are provided by Substack:

Key safety links

These links are provided by Substack:

  • Help centre
    Help and support topics on using Substack.  
  • Content guidelines
    The types of content and behaviour that are allowed on Substack.  
  • Terms of use
    Your rights and obligations when using Substack as a content creator and as a reader or subscriber.  

Last updated: 19/02/2025

The eSafety Guide helps you find out how to protect your personal information and report harmful content on common social media, games, apps and sites. Entries are for information only and are not reviews or endorsements by eSafety. Before choosing to use any online service or platform it’s best to:

  • do your own research to understand the risks and benefits
  • check the age rating and requirements
  • consider privacy
  • check the permissions and other settings
  • check the in-app reporting options.

If you are a parent or carer who is deciding whether a child should be allowed to use an online service or platform, you can also:

  • consider your child's readiness for the types of content and experiences they might encounter
  • help them understand what to do if they need help
  • provide ongoing support and monitoring, for example through regular check-ins with your child
  • agree to some rules about use of each service or platform.

To find out more, you can read the App checklist for parents, as well as information about parental controls in social media, games and apps and mental wellbeing resources for families.