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Resolution: Ombudsperson checkuser

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Resolutions Ombudsperson checkuser Feedback?
This resolution creating the Ombuds commission was approved by vote (3 supports) on 23 July 2006.

Whereas the board of Trustees of Wikimedia Foundation regularly receives some complaints related to abuse of its privacy policy, associated to checkuser activity or not.

It is hereby resolved that:

The board creates an "ombuds commission".

The ombuds commission will offer a sympathetic ear to those reporting an abuse of the Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy on any of Wikimedia project.

The ombudsperson will take charge of investigating cases of privacy policy breach or checkuser abuse for the board in an official manner. They will mediate between the complainant and the respondant (checkuser, arbcom member, bureaucrat or sysop). When legally necessary, the ombudsperson will assist the legal committee or the legal officer or the executive director to handle the case.

When the case is litigious, the ombudsperson will be in charge to educate checkusers or others about the Foundation privacy policy.

When the privacy policy has been breached, the commission should report to the Executive Director and recommend a course of action (such as removal of checkuser status).

Additionally, the commission might have a sort of "overview" over the way the checkuser system works and should offer suggestions of suitable modifications of policies or recommendations of software changes.

An Ombudsperson's Investigation shall be conducted in a manner determined by the Ombudsperson and which will be fair and impartial.

The members of the commission shall be as of July 1, 2006:


Approved by Angela, Anthere and Michael