Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm

This page documents an English Wikipedia behavioral guideline. Editors should generally follow it, though exceptions may apply. Substantive edits to this page should reflect consensus. When in doubt, discuss first on the talk page.

Shortcuts WP:SUICIDE WP:EMERGENCY WP:URGENT WP:911 WP:999

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

1. Treat all claims seriously

• Many threats are empty, but leave that evaluation to Wikimedia Foundation staff.
• If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency services.

2. Contact the Wikimedia Foundation
Immediately email emergencywikimedia.org with details of the threat.

• This address is for threats of physical harm (including self-harm) only. For other concerns, see Wikipedia:Contact us.
• Or, if you have an account with email enabled, you can click here: Special:EmailUser/Emergency.
• Include the name of the page where you saw the threat (or a URL or diff).
• This address is monitored around the clock. Staff will typically acknowledge your email immediately. (Check your junk folder.)
• Do not email other addresses or telephone the Wikimedia Foundation, as this creates confusion.
• Staff will take appropriate action, such as tracing locations and contacting authorities.

3. Contact administrators
In addition to emailing the Wikimedia Foundation as above, notify Wikipedia administrators privately.

• Even if you are an administrator, notify other administrators.
• Use email, IRC, Discord, or other low-visibility methods, not high-traffic noticeboards or popular talk pages.
• If in doubt, the primary method is to join #wikipedia-en-revdel ^connect <== Click the green ^connect button to launch.

• 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 emergencywikimedia.org; stay off high-traffic noticeboards.

• A behind the scenes look at the Wikimedia Foundation’s emergency response system, User:Mdennis (WMF), September 22, 2014
• Threats of harm - global guidance from Meta