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Suppression (sometimes known as Oversight) is an urgent enhanced deletion process for removing likely privacy breaches and defamation issues. Anyone, at any time, may report issues potentially needing suppression in whichever ways are fastest and easiest:
See below if unfamiliar, for more details on when to request suppression, how to contact an oversighter, and information needed.
Suppressible material and links to it should never be posted on-wiki or in other public venues. |
When to request suppression:
Suppression is intended for privacy breaching and defamatory material that should not be visible even to administrators. It is subject to extremely strict privacy rules and is only accessible by a very tightly controlled number of highly trusted users (Oversighters). Background details and full policy here
Suppression is usually appropriate for:
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Non-public personal information about an individual. This can be your own private information, or information about others, and may be posted by you or anyone else, on any English Wikipedia page.
This includes (but is not limited to) phone numbers, location, workplace or school, other online and offline identities, date of birth, accidentally disclosed IP addresses, and (subject to oversighter judgment) other information of an identifying nature.
- Vandalism appearing to include non-public information, eg someone's details and a request to phone them.
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Clearly private/personal/non-public information at oversighter judgment.
Suppression has been used to remove highly sensitive and potentially harmful non-public information, even if it does not strictly help identify the person, such as excessive self-disclosure by minors, and individuals' medical information.
- Clearly (or very likely) libelous posts when there is no editorial reason to keep the revision.
- Certain gross vandalism that would normally be deleted if usual deletion tools could deal with it. This includes grossly improper user names. (Interim until further notice, see main policy for more)
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Other exceptions: Very few exceptions will ever be made.
An example of one instance where exceptional treatment was granted is where posts were made as part of a real-world stalking campaign, they had no project value, and no lesser measure (ignoring, deletion) was deemed likely to suffice. On that occasion police had also been involved. Suppression may also be used for copyright violations upon advice by Wikimedia Foundation counsel.
Suppression is at Oversighter judgment. If the conditions are not met, suppression will not be granted. You may instead request speedy deletion or revision deletion - these delete the text from public view which usually suffices. Deleted material is visible only to administrators.
Necessary information:
Anyone, at any time, may report matters needing suppression.
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- Please provide the full URL (web browser address) for suppressible material, and (if not obvious) a brief description of what needs removal and why it needs to be removed.
If you know how, then please also
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- Include actual diff(s) (or from/to times) which can save time;
- Delete or revert the relevant revision/s first (but only if it will not draw undue attention), which removes the material from public view until suppressed and stops it being perpetuated in future edits. Don't use words like awaiting suppression. Use a generic description/edit summary.
How to report a matter to an oversighter:
Choose whichever is fastest and easiest for you -- or more than one if necessary.
Using Wikipedia's quick form – recommended if you have an account
If you have a Wikipedia account with email enabled, then use this form to directly post a request. (click here to enable account email)
This is one of the fastest ways to request suppression. Please use a descriptive subject line.
Monitored 24/7.
Using your usual email – recommended if you don't have an account
If you don't have a Wikipedia account with email enabled or prefer to use some other method of emailing, then email directly to: oversight-en-wp wikipedia.org to directly post a request. (Note that you may have to type the @ sign into your e-mail client, a straight copy and paste may render as -at-, instead of @)
This is also one of the fastest ways to request suppression. Please use a descriptive subject line.
Monitored 24/7.
Using IRC
If you use IRC(tutorial), then you can ask for an oversighter, or help finding an oversighter, in any of Wikipedia's official channels on Freenode -
Visit any of these and type the trigger word !oversight
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- Stewards can also suppress, but will not usually do so as English Wikipedia has its own team of oversighters. In a true emergency there is almost always a steward on #wikimedia-stewards connect on Freenode, and they are extremely helpful and alert.
- If an oversighter is around, these can be very quick. Do not post the diff in a public channel; tell the oversighter in private.
Fast if an oversighter is around and available.
By direct personal contact
If you know an oversighter and can contact one directly, by any means, you may do so. Requests do not have to be submitted via any given route. However if the oversighter is not available then the above (especially the mailing list) ensures someone will pick up your request. Users with oversighter status are listed here.
Consider using the form or email as well to make sure the request is seen as soon as possible.
Due to the nature of this page and how easily it could be abused, do not unprotect this page.
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