Sounds odd, right? Scaling an image shouldn't affect moderation. But it does.
Let's walk through how this happens — and why it matters.
The Moderation Process
When we look at an image, we see what our eyes interpret — not always what's actually there.
Take a look at this image:
How about this one?
See the difference resolution makes? Try squinting your eyes if you don't quite see it.
When an image is shrunk, key details are lost — or exaggerated. What once looked harmless might now resemble something explicit.
How does this affect moderation?
When we moderate an image, we look at the image at a certain resolution – typically the original – and decide based on that.
However, users often don't use images at their original resolution.
For example, they might use an image as their profile picture — usually scaled down to fit a circle or square.
And this is where the problem happens.
How should you moderate this?
It depends on your platform's priorities.
If you want to create a safe and appropriate experience for your users, you should moderate images at both the original and scaled-down resolutions.
But if you're okay with the risk of showing a nude in a profile picture, you can just moderate at the original resolution.
Why this matters
Many platforms rely on automated moderation pipelines. However, these pipelines often assume the image being evaluated is the same one that will be shown to users.
That's a dangerous assumption.
A scaled-down version can look radically different — and in some cases, more explicit — than the original.
Without scale-aware moderation, you're leaving gaps wide open.
Protect your users with scale-aware moderation, which comes as standard with Kayle.
