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Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm

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If you see a threat of physical harm (including self-harm):

  1. 1. Treat all claims seriously
  2. 2. Contact the Wikimedia Foundation
    • Immediately email emergency@wikimedia.org with details of the threat. Alternatively, if your Wikipedia account has email enabled, click here to message the emergency team.
    • These contact methods are for threats of physical harm (including self-harm) only. For other concerns, see Wikipedia:Contact us.
    • Provide the exact name or URL of the page where you saw the threat, the time that you saw it, and your time zone. Or (if you know how) provide a diff link.
    • This address is monitored around the clock. Staff will typically acknowledge your email immediately. (Check your junk folder.)
      • Because of recent (2023) technical issues: if you don't hear back within one hour, forward your email to ca@wikimedia.org.[a]
    • Do not email other Wikimedia Foundation addresses, or telephone the Wikimedia Foundation, as this creates confusion.
    • Staff will take appropriate action, such as tracing locations and contacting authorities.
  3. 3. Contact Wikipedia administrators privately
    • Use email, IRC, Discord, or other low-visibility methods, not noticeboards or talk pages.
    • If in doubt, the primary method is to use IRC and join the #wikipedia-en-revdel connect channel. To do this quickly and using your browser, click here: Join IRC channel.
    • If you need to find an administrator who is active on Wikipedia right now, you can use this tool to locate one.
    • Even if you are an administrator, notify other administrators.

Notes

  1. ^ Per WMF request on June 7, 2023

Advice for administrators

  • Threats of suicide or other self-harm require discretion on the question of blocking but generally, specific threats should be removed (with a thoughtfully worded edit summary) and revision deleted, pending oversight.
  • Threats against others should be met with blocking (generally including removal of talk page access) and possibly blocking email as well. Such threats should be blanked; consider applying revdel as well.
  • Request oversight (suppression) of any post containing personal information.
  • If in doubt, email the office at emergency@wikimedia.org; stay off high-traffic noticeboards.