Above BoardThe Above Board Standard
What an agency, TikTok LIVE network or webcam studio must show us to earn the seal. 35 criteria in ten pillars. 30 are required; the rest are scored and reported privately to the company.
Two certifications
| Certification | Who it is for | How it is checked | Typical time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency Verified | Creator management agencies (OnlyFans, Fansly, Fanvue), TikTok LIVE creator networks, chat-outsourcing firms | Fully remote | About 2 weeks |
| Studio Certified | Webcam studios | Remote review plus an unannounced site visit | About 4 weeks |
The only three statuses we publish
Verified
Met every required criterion at the last audit. Seal active.
Not verified
Not yet audited, audit in progress, did not pass, or certification expired. We never publish "failed".
Revoked
A seal was issued and later withdrawn, after the holder could respond and appeal. It stays on the public record, citing only the criterion number.
A failed audit stays private. The applicant receives a written fix list and may be re-checked within 90 days at no extra charge.
The ten pillars
Each criterion is Required (must pass) or Scored (assessed and reported privately; does not block certification).
01 Legal identity
- 1.1Registered legal entity, with registry number and country.Required
- 1.2Named beneficial owners disclosed to Above Board (kept private).Required
- 1.3Real business address and working contact.Required
02 Account control
- 2.1The creator owns the account and keeps control of it: the account email, password resets, two-factor authentication and payout details stay with the creator, who can cut off all agency access at any time. Where the platform offers official delegated access (Fansly Management Sessions, Fanvue Manager Accounts, TikTok's Creator Network tools), the agency uses it. Where it does not, such as OnlyFans, any staff access is limited to named people, logged, and never used to change credentials, payout details or ownership.Required
- 2.2For agencies, platform payouts go only to the creator's own account, and the agency invoices for its share. For studios paid by the platform, criterion 9.4 applies.Required
- 2.3Access is revoked within 7 days of the relationship ending.Required
- 2.4No power of attorney or authority to sign for the creator, beyond specific tasks the creator approves in writing.Required
03 Contract fairness
- 3.1Commission rate and its base (gross fan spend, or net after platform fee) written in the contract.Required
- 3.2Minimum commitment of 6 months or less: the creator can leave without penalty, on the notice in 3.3, at any time after at most 6 months.Required
- 3.3Creator can exit with no more than 60 days' notice, with no exit penalty beyond commission already earned.Required
- 3.4Content belongs to the creator; any license to the agency ends when the contract ends. No perpetual or irrevocable rights, and no assignment of the creator's content.Required
- 3.5Treatment of tips stated.Scored
- 3.6A performance clause lets the creator exit early if agreed targets are missed.Scored
- 3.7No right to create AI-generated or digital-replica versions of the creator's face, body or voice without separate, specific written consent for each use, ending with the contract.Required
04 Money matches paper
- 4.1Commission actually charged matches the contract rate, sampled across creators.Required
- 4.2Monthly statements given to every creator.Required
05 Verified roster
- 5.1Every creator the agency names publicly confirms the relationship directly to Above Board.Required
- 5.2No fabricated testimonials or earnings claims in marketing.Required
06 Outcomes
- 6.1Earnings before and after joining, from platform data with the creator's consent, or from statements as a fallback. (used in the audit; never published per agency or per creator)Scored
- 6.2Creator retention at 12 months.Scored
07 Chatters and staff
- 7.1Written policy on who writes messages to fans, and how that is disclosed.Required for agencies using chatters
- 7.2Chatter pay at or above the legal minimum wage where the chatter works, with written terms.Required for agencies using chatters
- 7.3Anonymous chatter survey.Scored
08 Age and consent
- 8.1Government ID verification for every performer before any content or broadcast.Required
- 8.2Consent records for every performer in every piece of content, retained as the law requires.Required
- 8.3Zero tolerance: any evidence of a minor ends the audit and is reported to the authorities.Required
09 Workplace (studios only)
- 9.1Adequate ventilation, clean sanitary facilities and hygiene supplies provided free.Required
- 9.2No cameras in restrooms or changing areas.Required
- 9.3Scheduled breaks; no shift over 10 hours; working hours within local labor law.Required
- 9.4The model's share is written down; she can see her own gross platform earnings for each pay period, and she is paid on a fixed schedule.Required
- 9.5The model owns her account and following, or can take them with her when she leaves.Required
- 9.6Models can refuse any act without penalty.Required
- 9.7No fines, penalties or deductions from the model's share for lateness, missed targets or refusals, and no charges for rooms, equipment or supplies that were not agreed in writing in advance.Required
10 Grievance channel
- 10.1The agency or studio gives creators Above Board's confidential reporting channel.Required
- 10.2Complaints are tracked to resolution; a confirmed serious complaint triggers a re-audit.Required
Evidence and how we check it
We don't rely on what an agency tells us. Each pillar is checked against something we can see or confirm independently.
| Evidence | Pillar |
|---|---|
| Company registry documents | 1 |
| Platform access settings and access logs, confirmed by the creator | 2 |
| Contracts, checked clause by clause | 3 |
| Payout data against invoices and statements | 4 |
| Direct, private confirmations from creators | 5 |
| Platform earnings data, with creator consent | 6 |
| Policies, payroll sample, anonymous surveys | 7 |
| Age and identity verification logs | 8 |
| Unannounced site visit and private worker interviews | 9 |
| Above Board intake records | 10 |
Independence rules
- A flat audit fee, agreed before the audit, the same whether the audit passes or fails.
- Auditors must be paid per audit, never by result, and never by the audited company.
- No paid placement, rankings or advertising, ever.
- Every seal issued, renewed or revoked is written to a public, tamper-proof record. Only a fingerprint of the report goes public; the report itself stays private.
- No personal data about creators is ever published.
- Methodology changes are versioned and published with their date before they apply to any audit.
Renewal and re-checks
Certifications last 12 months. Above Board may re-check at any time after a credible complaint, and a confirmed serious complaint triggers a full re-audit.
Appeals
A company may appeal any audit decision within 30 days. The appeal is decided by a reviewer who was not involved in the audit. A revocation is published only after the company has had the chance to respond and any appeal has been decided.
Changes to this standard
Version 1.0 is a public draft. We welcome comments from creators, models, agencies, studios, platforms and advocates at hello@aboveboardstandard.com. Every change will be published here with its date before it applies to any audit.
Changelog
- v1.0 draft, revision 2 (October 19, 2026). Added 2.4 (power of attorney), 3.7 (AI likeness) and 9.7 (fines and deductions). Clarified 2.1 for platforms without official manager access, 2.2 for studios, 3.2 as a minimum commitment, 3.4 to cover assignment of rights, 6.1 as never published, 7.2 and 9.3 on local law, and 9.4 on earnings visibility. Added appeals; scored criteria are now reported privately.
- v1.0 draft (October 18, 2026). First public draft.