Above BoardWhy Above Board exists
A fast-growing number of creators and models earn through middlemen: management agencies, TikTok LIVE networks, chat companies and webcam studios. Some are excellent. Some take passwords, payouts and content and don't give them back. From the outside, they look the same.
What we do
We publish an open standard for how these businesses should treat the people they represent, and we audit companies against it using evidence, not self-reported answers. Companies that pass earn the seal, recorded publicly so it can't be faked.
We also give creators and models free tools: a contract checker that runs on their own device, a seal lookup, and plain-language guides, in English and Spanish.
How we are funded
Once paid audits begin, audited companies pay a flat audit fee, and that is the only income Above Board accepts. Until then, including the founding cohort, Above Board is funded by its owners. Creators and models never pay, and nobody can pay us for placement, rankings, reviews or the removal of information.
What we are not
- We are not an agency, and we don't recruit or refer creators.
- We are not a review site. We publish audit outcomes, not opinions.
- We are not a law firm. The checker and guides are information, not legal advice.
Appeals, complaints and corrections
Any audited company can appeal a decision within 30 days to a reviewer who wasn't part of the audit. If you think we got something wrong, about an audit, our research or this site, write to hello@aboveboardstandard.com. We correct factual errors promptly and note the change.
Independence rules
Same fee, pass or fail
The fee never depends on the result.
Auditors at arm's length
Paid per audit by Above Board, never by result and never by the company audited. Every certification decision is reviewed by a second person.
Nothing for sale but the audit
No paid placement, rankings, sponsorship or advertising.
Public, tamper-proof record
Every seal issued, renewed or revoked will be written to a public ledger.
No creator data published
Ever. Reports stay private; only their fingerprint is public.
Open method
The standard is public and versioned, and changes are dated.
Talk to us
Creators, models, agencies, studios, platforms, researchers and press: one address reaches the team.