Examples relate to system call policies for containers. In an example, a method includes receiving, by a container platform, a container for running an application. The container has a metadata record that specifies an application type of the application. The container platform receives a data structure that specifies a set of system call policies for a set of application types and queries the data structure to determine a policy of the set of system call policies to apply to the container based on the application type in the metadata record. A kernel implements the policy for the container to allow or deny permission for a system call by the application running in the container based on a comparison of the system call to the policy.