Rules for using this site
Last updated: 12 September 2026
The Watchers Trees is a free hobby project for family trees from The Sims 4. To keep it pleasant for everybody, a few simple rules apply. They are the terms and conditions within the meaning of Article 14 of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA).
1. Who may take part
- Anyone may look. You need an account to build your own family trees.
- You may create an account if you are at least 16 years old. Younger people need their parents' consent.
- An account is personal; your password belongs to nobody else.
2. What you may upload
This site is meant for your own screenshots from the game and for texts about game characters. In short: anything you hold the rights to.
3. What is not allowed
- Nudity and sexual depictions, pornographic content, and anything that sexualises children or young people.
- Depictions of violence, cruelty to animals, glorification of violence or war.
- Hate and incitement: insults, threats, incitement to hatred, symbols of unconstitutional organisations.
- Other people's content without the rights to it: pictures from the internet, other people's photos, third-party works.
- Photos or details of real people without their consent – not even of friends "for fun".
- Personal data of third parties: addresses, phone numbers, employers and the like.
- Advertising, spam, chain letters, links to malware.
- Anything else that is forbidden under German law.
4. If something catches your eye: report it
Every family tree has "Report content" in the ⋯ menu at the top right. You do not need an account for it. You choose the reason, describe briefly what this is about, give your name and e-mail address and confirm that your statements are accurate to the best of your knowledge. You may leave out name and address if your report concerns a suspected criminal offence against children or young people – such a report is valid anonymously (Article 16(2) and (3) of the EU Digital Services Act).
Without an account, or if it is urgent, you can also write directly to thewatcherstrees@needful-apps.de. It helps to include the address of the family tree (the line in your browser).
What happens next:
- If you gave an e-mail address, an acknowledgement of receipt arrives immediately.
- Every report is looked at – usually within 48 hours.
- Anything that breaks these rules or the law is removed. Obviously criminal content is deleted at once.
- Whoever posted content that gets removed is told the reason by e-mail and can object.
- You are then told what was decided and what you can do if you consider the decision wrong: object by e-mail, or go to the courts and authorities.
- Reports are not handled automatically; a human being always looks at them.
5. What happens after a breach
- Individual images, Sims or whole family trees can be removed.
- An account can be blocked. Its family trees are kept, but they are no longer visible to others while the block lasts.
- For severe or repeated breaches, the account and its content can be deleted.
- If a criminal offence is suspected, it is reported to the police.
- You can challenge any measure by e-mail; the case is then looked at again.
6. No prior checking
Uploaded images and texts are not checked in advance – this is far too small a hobby project for that. Whoever posted a piece of content is responsible for it. The provider removes content as soon as it learns of a breach (Article 6 DSA).
7. No guarantee
This site is a gift to the Sims community, not a service with promises: there is no guaranteed availability and no liability for lost data. Please use "Download backup" now and then to keep your own copy of your family trees.
8. Changes
These rules may change when it becomes necessary. The date at the top shows the current version. Substantial changes are announced on the start page.
Note: the legally binding versions of the legal notice and the privacy policy are the German ones. This translation is provided for convenience.