CheckUser policy/ku
| The following page is a translation of global policy into Kurdish language. Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this document and a translation, the original English version takes precedence. This page has been developed and approved by the community and its compliance is mandatory for all projects. It must not be modified without prior community approval. |  |
Automatically generated checkusers list
CheckUser status
CheckUser is an interface for users with the checkuser permission. A user with the checkuser permission on a wiki can, in particular, check if a user is a sockpuppet of another user on that wiki (not on all wikis). By using it, users are able to:
- Determine from which IP addresses an account has performed edits, logged actions, or password resets on the Wikimedia wiki;
- Determine all edits, logged actions, login attempts, and password resets that were performed on the Wikimedia wiki from a specific IP address (including users who were logged in with an account);
- Determine whether the account being checked has sent an email using the MediaWiki interface to any other user. The time of the event is logged; the destination email address and destination account is obscured.
This information is only stored for a short period (currently 90 days), so edits made prior to that will not be shown via the CheckUser tool. A log is kept of who has made queries using the tool. This log is available to those with the checkuser-log permission:
See Help:CheckUser for the user manual.
Use of the tool
The tool is to be used to fight vandalism, spamming, to check for sockpuppet abuse, and to limit disruption of the project. It must be used only to prevent damage to any of the Wikimedia projects.
The tool should not be used for political control, to apply pressure on editors, or as a threat against another editor in a content dispute. There must be a valid reason to use the CheckUser tools to investigate a user. Note that alternative accounts are not forbidden, so long as they are not used in violation of the policies (examples of violations include double-voting, increasing the apparent support for any given position, or to evade blocks or bans).
Notification to the account that is checked is permitted but is not mandatory. Similarly, notification of the check to the community is not mandatory, but may be done subject to the provisions of the privacy policy.
Some wikis allow an editor's IPs to be checked upon their request if, for example, there is a need to provide evidence of innocence against a sockpuppet allegation; note, however, that requesting a CheckUser in these circumstances is sometimes part of the attempt to disrupt.
Privacy policy
On Wikimedia projects, privacy policy considerations are of tremendous importance. Unless someone is violating policy with their actions (e.g. massive bot vandalism or spam) and revealing information about them is necessary to stop the disruption, it is a violation of the privacy policy to reveal their IP, whereabouts, or other information sufficient to identify them, unless they have already revealed this information themselves on the project.
Information release
Even if the user is committing abuse, it's best not to reveal personal information if possible.
- Generally, do not reveal IPs. Only give information such as same network/not same network or similar. If detailed information is provided, make sure the person you are giving it to is a trusted person and will not reveal it himself/herself.
- If the user has said they're from somewhere and the IP confirms it, it's not releasing private information to confirm it if needed.
- If you're in any doubt, give no detail.
Access to CheckUser
Approved candidates for CheckUser permissions must sign, before being granted such permissions, a confidentiality agreement for nonpublic information pursuant the access to nonpublic personal data policy. |
Only stewards, ombuds, some Wikimedia Foundation staff, and a very small number of other users are allowed to have CheckUser access. Users can only have CheckUser status locally (except for the ombuds and those staff members with access).
If local CheckUsers exist in a project, checks should generally be handled by those. In emergencies, or for multi-project CheckUser checks (as in the case of cross-wiki vandalism), stewards may perform local checks. Stewards should remove their own CheckUser access on the projects upon completion of the checks and notify the local CheckUsers or the CheckUser e-mail list.
If no local CheckUsers exist for a project, requests will need to be made to the stewards to perform checks (such as "is UserX a sockpuppet of UserY"). To do so, simply add the request to Steward requests/Checkuser listing these users and explain the need for the check (with links). Depending on the nature of the request, the steward may deny it, may ask for more information, or may answer about the likelihood of the users in question having the same IP, same proxy, same network, same country, or being completely unrelated (see discussion for what the steward should more precisely say to the editor).
Appointing local CheckUsers
On any wiki, there must be at least two users with CheckUser status, or none at all. This is so that they can mutually control and confirm their actions. In the case where only one CheckUser is left on a wiki (when the only other one retires, or is removed), the community must appoint a new CheckUser immediately (so that the number of CheckUsers is at least two).
On wikis with an Arbitration Committee (ArbCom) whose members have been elected with the support of at least 25–30 members of the local community, CheckUsers may be directly appointed by the Arbitrators. After agreement, a member of the Committee should simply list the candidate on Steward requests/Permissions.
On a wiki without an Arbitration Committee that meets the criterion above, or in a project where there is a preference for independent elections, the community may approve local CheckUsers (stewards not counting as local CheckUsers) per consensus. The candidate must request the CheckUser status within the local community and advertise this request properly (village pump, mailing list when available, special request page, etc.). The candidate must be familiar with the privacy policy. After gaining consensus (at least 70%–80% in pro/con voting or the highest number of votes in multiple choice elections) in the local community, and with at least 25–30 editors' approval, the successful candidate should request access at Steward requests/Permissions with a link to the page with the community's decision. If there are an insufficient number of votes for at least two CheckUsers on a wiki, there will be no CheckUsers on that wiki.
Mailing list
There is a closed mailing list (CheckUser-l) to which all stewards and CheckUsers should have access. Email the list moderators to gain access. Use this mailing list to ask for help, ideas and second opinions if you're not sure what the data means.
IRC channel
There is a private IRC channel (#wikimedia-checkuserconnect) to which all stewards and CheckUsers who use IRC should have access. This channel serves the same purpose as the mailing list, but in real-time. Contact any channel member to gain access; a channel manager will grant permanent access. Ask a steward if you need help gaining access.
Removal of access
Any user account with CheckUser status that is inactive for more than one year will have their CheckUser access removed.
In case of abusive use of the tool, the steward or the editor with the CheckUser privilege will immediately have their access removed. This will in particular happen if checks are done routinely on editors without a serious motive to do so (links and proofs of bad behavior should be provided).
Suspicion of abuses of CheckUser should be discussed by each local wiki. On wikis with an approved ArbCom, the ArbCom can decide on the removal of access. On wikis without an approved ArbCom, the community can vote removal of access.
Complaints of infringement of CheckUser, Access to Nonpublic Information Policy or Privacy Policy breaches are handled by the Ombuds commission for all Wikimedia projects.
Users with CheckUser access
- Edit (last updated: 2024-11-01)
Everywhere
- Stewards - upon request or their own initiative, stewards use it by briefly granting the right to themselves; this is logged.
- Some members of the Staff of the Wikimedia Foundation (see global group)
- Members of the Ombuds commission (see automatically generated list):
Arabic Wikipedia
Bengali Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list
Local policy mandates that only users who gain at least 25 votes in favor and 80% support can be appointed (applications will open for no fewer than 30 days).
Catalan Wikipedia
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Czech Wikipedia
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Danish Wikipedia
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Dutch Wikipedia
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- Appointed by Arbcom
English Wikibooks
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Local policy mandates that Stewards are explicitly allowed to process non-emergency CheckUser requests.
English Wikinews
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English Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list
- Alison
- AmandaNP
- Aoidh
- Barkeep49
- Blablubbs
- Bradv
- Cabayi
- Callanecc
- CaptainEek
- DatGuy
- Dreamy Jazz
- Drmies
- EdJohnston
- Ferret
- Firefly
- Girth Summit
- Guerillero
- HJ Mitchell
- Ivanvector
- Izno
- Joe Roe
- Jpgordon
- KrakatoaKatie
- Ks0stm
- L235
- Mailer diablo
- Materialscientist
- Mkdw
- Moneytrees
- Mz7
- NinjaRobotPirate
- Oshwah
- PhilKnight
- Ponyo
- Primefac
- Reaper Eternal
- RickinBaltimore
- Risker
- RoySmith
- SQL
- ST47
- Salvio giuliano
- Sdrqaz
- Stwalkerster
- ToBeFree
- Vanamonde93
- Versageek
- Yamla
- Zzuuzz
- Z1720
English Wiktionary
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Finnish Wikipedia
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French Wikipedia
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Under the local policy, CheckUsers are elected for six-month terms.
German Wikipedia
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Under the local policy, CheckUsers are elected for one- or two-year terms.
Hebrew Wikipedia
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Hungarian Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list (requests and policy)
Indonesian Wikipedia
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Italian Wikipedia
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Japanese Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list (policy)
Korean Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list (policy and requests)
Malayalam Wikipedia
Automatically generated checkusers list (policy and requests)
Persian Wikipedia
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Polish Wikipedia
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Due to a new local policy, users who gain 85% of votes in favor may become CheckUsers.
Portuguese Wikipedia
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Under the local policy, CheckUsers are elected for two-year terms.
Russian Wikipedia
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- Appointed by ArbCom
Serbian Wikipedia
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Simple English Wikipedia
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Slovene Wikipedia
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Spanish Wikipedia
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Local policy mandates that only users who gain at least 30 votes in favor and 80% support can be appointed.
Swedish Wikipedia
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Thai Wikipedia
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Turkish Wikipedia
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Ukrainian Wikipedia
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- Appointed by ArbCom
Vietnamese Wikipedia
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Wikimedia Commons
Automatically generated checkusers list · (information page and requests page)
Wikispecies
Automatically generated checkusers list
Meta
Automatically generated checkusers list · (information page and requests page)
Wikidata
Automatically generated checkusers list · (information page and requests page)
See also
- Privacy policy
- Ombuds commission (processes complaints of privacy violations)
- Requests for CheckUser information and CheckUser status
- Local policies of the projects
- Help:CheckUser user manual
- [Foundation-l] CheckUser (thoughts), by Anthere on April 22, 2006, includes a historic background