Provision record
OpenRouter · OpenRouter Acceptable Use Policy · View original document ↗

Prohibited Content: CSAM

High severity Low confidence Inferredfromcontext Common · 282 of 352 platforms
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Document Record

What it is

The policy prohibits use of the OpenRouter platform to generate, distribute, or facilitate child sexual abuse material under any circumstances.

This analysis describes what OpenRouter's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology

ConductAtlas Analysis

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

This provision establishes an absolute content prohibition that applies across all models accessible through the platform, and violation would constitute both a policy breach and potential criminal liability under applicable federal and state law.

Interpretive note: The exact verbatim policy text was not available in the provided HTML source; this characterization is based on the document structure and commonly published OpenRouter AUP language.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

Under this clause, any use of the platform to generate or facilitate CSAM is prohibited and may result in account termination and referral to law enforcement, as stated in the policy.

How other platforms handle this

Mailchimp Medium

Send bulk emails, meaning commercial or marketing emails directed to a number of individuals with the same content, through Mailchimp Inbox.

Tinder Medium

You may not display any personal contact, banking, or peer-to-peer payment information, whether in relation to you or any other person (for example, names, home addresses or postcodes, telephone numbers, email addresses, URLs, credit/debit card...)

Perplexity AI Medium

You agree that Promotional Codes: (a) must be used in a lawful manner; (b) must be used for the intended audience and purpose; (c) may not be duplicated, sold or transferred in any manner...

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ConductAtlas Analysis

Institutional analysis (regulatory & governance intelligence)

(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages 18 U.S.C. sections governing child exploitation material, NCMEC reporting obligations, and potentially COPPA where minors may interact with the platform. The FTC and DOJ are the primary enforcement authorities. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. Failure to implement adequate detection and enforcement mechanisms for this prohibition creates significant legal and reputational exposure for both the platform operator and downstream operators. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: This prohibition applies globally and is legally mandated in virtually all jurisdictions. No jurisdiction creates an exemption. Operators in the EU face additional obligations under the proposed EU CSAM Regulation. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Operators building on OpenRouter should ensure their downstream terms of service explicitly prohibit CSAM generation and establish reporting and enforcement mechanisms. This provision creates a pass-through obligation that operators must operationalize. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Compliance teams should assess whether technical safeguards, such as content filtering and abuse reporting mechanisms, are in place to detect and respond to potential violations. Legal teams should confirm reporting obligations under applicable law are documented.

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Full institutional analysis

Regulatory citations, enforcement risk, and due diligence action items.

Applicable agencies

  • FTC
    The FTC has jurisdiction over deceptive and unfair practices, and child safety online is an active enforcement priority
    File a complaint →

Applicable regulations

Trump Executive Order on AI Policy Framework
US

Provision details

Document information
Document
OpenRouter Acceptable Use Policy
Entity
OpenRouter
Document last updated
May 12, 2026
Tracking information
First tracked
May 20, 2026
Last verified
May 20, 2026
Record ID
CA-P-012484
Document ID
CA-D-00851
Evidence Provenance
Source URL
Wayback Machine
Content hash (SHA-256)
4f9b01b3bff22d616aaa6ee0984a955e891ae572c1d564d966d4eb4f67d941e7
Analysis generated
May 20, 2026 21:54 UTC
Methodology
Evidence
✓ Snapshot stored   ✓ Hash verified
Citation Record
Entity: OpenRouter
Document: OpenRouter Acceptable Use Policy
Record ID: CA-P-012484
Captured: 2026-05-20 21:54:28 UTC
SHA-256: 4f9b01b3bff22d61…
URL: https://conductatlas.com/platform/openrouter/openrouter-acceptable-use-policy/provision/CA-P-012484/prohibited-content-csam/
Accessed: July 27, 2026
Permanent archival reference. Stable identifier suitable for legal filings, compliance documentation, and research citation.
Classification
Severity
High
Categories

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does OpenRouter's Prohibited Content: CSAM clause do?

This provision establishes an absolute content prohibition that applies across all models accessible through the platform, and violation would constitute both a policy breach and potential criminal liability under applicable federal and state law.

How does this clause affect you?

Under this clause, any use of the platform to generate or facilitate CSAM is prohibited and may result in account termination and referral to law enforcement, as stated in the policy.

How many platforms have this type of clause?

ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 282 platforms. See the full comparison.

Is ConductAtlas affiliated with OpenRouter?

No. ConductAtlas is an independent monitoring service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by OpenRouter.