Ombuds commission/2016/Report Jul-Dec
Semiannual Report: July 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016
Composition
Barras, who had joined the Ombudsman Commission in February 2015, resigned from the Commission in November.
WMF Legal Statement on Mass-Checking IPBE Accounts
In a case brought before the Commission in February (concluded in May), the Commission submitted to the Wikimedia Foundation its recommendation that a statement be published concerning the use of the CheckUser tool on users with the IP block exempt (IPBE) flag. A CheckUser on a Wikimedia project had used the CheckUser tool to mass-check on users with this user right in an effort to determine if the right is still needed or has been used in an abusive manner by its holders. The Ombudsman Commission determined that such practice is incompatible with the CheckUser policy and therefore requires prior consent from the users affected. Because various CheckUsers have performed such so-called “IPBE audits” over the years, the Commission recommended to the Wikimedia Foundation that it publicly clarifies the need for consent in such cases.
The Ombudsman Commission continued to advise the Wikimedia Foundation on this matter during the reporting period. In November, the Wikimedia Foundation’s legal team published a Statement regarding IP block exemptions echoing the Commission’s findings.
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The OC has suggested, in response to the issue raised here, that the Checkusers reconsider whether or not these mass preventive checks are needed. If they are determined to be necessary, the Checkusers should establish a process whereby users consent to these checks before receiving the IPBE flag. WMF Legal agrees with this suggestion, and encourages the Checkusers to evaluate whether these mass checks are needed and, if so, to gain permission from IPBE flag users as the OC recommends. |
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| — Statement regarding IP block exemptions | ||
Summary of Cases
During the reporting period, a total of 6 incidents were reported to the Ombudsman Commission. They are summarized below:
| CheckUser-related | Suppressrevision-related | Both | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closed within less than 30 days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Closed within 30—60 days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Closed within 60—90 days | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Closed within more than 90 days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Not yet closed (as of December 31) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
None of the 4 cases brought to a conclusion by the Ombudsman Commission during the reporting period have led to a report to the Wikimedia Foundation pursuant to the applicable 2006 and 2015 Board resolutions. (There were no open cases left from the previous reporting period.)