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<noinclude>{{pp-semi-indef}}{{pp-move-indef}}{{short description|Misplaced Pages policy on material about living persons}}{{For|the guideline on whether a person is sufficiently noteworthy to have an article|Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)}} | |||
<noinclude>{{Pp-protected|small=yes}}{{pp-move-indef}}</noinclude> | |||
{{ |
{{policy|WP:BLP}} | ||
{{notice|{{strong|Report problems about particular biographical material on Misplaced Pages}} to the ]. {{xref|See also {{section link ||Dealing with articles about yourself}}, below.}}}} | |||
{{policy|WP:ALIVE|WP:BLP|WP:LIVE}} | |||
{{ |
{{nutshell|Material about living persons added to {{em|any}} Misplaced Pages page must be written with the greatest care and attention to ], ], and ].}} | ||
{{User:Oshwah/Templates/OfferHelp}} | |||
], see {{strong|]}}.]] | |||
Editors must take particular care when adding '''information about living persons''' to {{em|any}} ] page, including but not limited to articles, talk pages, project pages, and drafts.{{efn|People are presumed to be living unless there is reason to believe otherwise. This policy does not apply to people ].}} Such material requires a high degree of sensitivity, and must adhere {{em|strictly}} to all applicable laws in the United States, to this policy, and to Misplaced Pages's three core content policies: | |||
{{notice|'''If you are concerned about the accuracy or appropriateness of biographical material on Misplaced Pages''', report problems at the ]. For articles about yourself, please see "]" below.}} | |||
]''' and ''']'''.]] | |||
Editors must take particular care when adding '''information about living persons''' to ''any'' Misplaced Pages page.<ref>People are presumed to be living unless there is reason to believe otherwise. This policy does not apply to people declared ].</ref> Such material requires a high degree of sensitivity, and must adhere ''strictly'' to all applicable laws in the United States, to this policy, and to Misplaced Pages's three core content policies: | |||
* ] (NPOV) | * ] (NPOV) | ||
* ] (V) | * ] (V) | ||
* ] (NOR) | * ] (NOR) | ||
Misplaced Pages must get the article {{em|right}}. Be very firm about the use of high-quality ]. All quotations and any material {{strong|challenged or likely to be challenged}} must be supported by an ] to a reliable, published source. Contentious material about living persons (or, in some cases, recently deceased) that is unsourced or poorly sourced—whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable—must be {{strong|removed immediately and without waiting for discussion}}.<ref name="ZeroInformation">{{Cite mailing list|url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-May/046440.html|title=Zero information is preferred to misleading or false information|date=16 May 2006|access-date=22 June 2018|mailing-list=]|publisher=]|last=Wales|first=Jimmy|author-link=Jimmy Wales|quote=It should be removed, aggressively, unless it can be sourced. This is true of all information, but it is particularly true of negative information about living persons.|archive-url=https://archive.is/20180622205129/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-May/046440.html|archive-date=22 June 2018}}{{pb}}{{Cite mailing list|url=https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-May/046732.html|title=Zero information is preferred to misleading or false information|date=19 May 2006|access-date=22 June 2018|mailing-list=WikiEN-l|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|last=Wales|first=Jimmy|quote=If you see an unsourced statement that would be libel if false, and it makes you feel suspicious enough to want to tag it as {{tlf|citation needed}}, please do not do that! Please just remove the statement and ask a question on the talk page.|archive-url=https://archive.is/20180622205914/https://lists.wikimedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2006-May/046732.html|archive-date=22 June 2018}}{{pb}}{{Cite web|url=https://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org/Archives/Jimbo_Keynote|title=Archives/Jimbo Keynote|last=Wales|first=Jimmy|date=4 August 2006|department=]|publisher=Wikimedia Foundation|archive-url=https://wikimania2006.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Archives/Jimbo_Keynote&oldid=9800|archive-date=8 August 2006|url-status=live|access-date=22 June 2018|quote=One of the social things that I think we can do is ] I think social policies have evolved in recent years, I mean the recent months, to actually handle this problem a lot better. A lot of the admins and experienced editors are taking a really strong stand against unsourced claims, which is always a typical example of the problem. And the few people who are still sort of in the old days, saying, 'Well, you know, it's a wiki, why don't we just... ', yeah, they're sort of falling by the wayside, because lots of people are saying actually, we have a really serious responsibility to get things right.}}</ref> Users who persistently or egregiously violate this policy may be ]. | |||
Biographies of living persons ("BLPs") must be written conservatively and with regard for the subject's privacy. ], not a ]: it is not Misplaced Pages's job to be sensationalist, or to be the primary vehicle for the spread of titillating claims about people's lives; the possibility of harm to living subjects must always be considered when exercising editorial judgment. This policy applies to any living person mentioned in a BLP, whether or not that person is the subject of the article, and to material about living persons in other articles and on other pages, including talk pages.{{efn|For examples of arbitration cases that refer to this policy's parameters, see:{{pb}} | |||
], 28 November 2006: "Misplaced Pages:Biographies of living persons applies to all living persons in an entry, not merely the subject of the entry."{{pb}} | |||
], 16 October 2013: "The ] policy applies to all references to living persons throughout Misplaced Pages, including the titles of articles and pages and all other portions of any page."}} The ] rests with the editor who adds or restores the material. | |||
Biographies of living persons ("BLP"s) must be written conservatively and with regard for the subject's privacy. Misplaced Pages is an encyclopedia, not a tabloid: it is not Misplaced Pages's job to be sensationalist, or to be the primary vehicle for the spread of titillating claims about people's lives: the possibility of harm to living subjects must always be considered when exercising editorial judgment. This policy applies to any living person mentioned in a BLP, whether or not that person is the subject of the article, and to material about living persons in other articles and on other pages, including talk pages.<ref>]: "WP:BLP applies to all living persons mentioned in an article"</ref> The ] for any edit on Misplaced Pages rests with the person who adds or restores material. | |||
{{Content policy list}} | {{Content policy list}} | ||
==Writing style== | ==Writing style== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPSTYLE}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPSTYLE}} | ||
===Tone=== | ===Tone=== | ||
BLPs should be written responsibly, cautiously, and in a dispassionate tone, avoiding both understatement and overstatement. Articles should document in a non-partisan manner what reliable ] have published about the subjects, and ] what the subjects have published about themselves. |
BLPs should be written responsibly, cautiously, and in a dispassionate tone, avoiding both understatement and overstatement. Articles should document in a non-partisan manner what reliable ] have published about the subjects, and ] what the subjects have published about themselves. Summarize how actions and achievements are characterized by reliable sources without giving undue weight to ]. Do not label people with ], ], or terms that lack precision, unless a person is commonly described that way in reliable sources. Instead use clear, direct language and let facts alone do the talking. | ||
===Balance=== | ===Balance=== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPBALANCE}} | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:COATRACK}} | |||
{{further|Misplaced Pages:Coatrack articles}} | |||
Criticism and praise should be included if they can be sourced to reliable secondary sources, so long as the material is presented responsibly, conservatively, and in a disinterested tone. Do not give ] to particular viewpoints; the views of tiny minorities should not be included at all. Care must be taken with ] to ensure the overall presentation and section headings are broadly neutral. Beware of claims that rely on ], and biased or malicious content. | |||
Criticism and praise should be included if they can be sourced to reliable secondary sources, so long as the material is presented responsibly, conservatively, and in a disinterested tone. Do not give ] to particular viewpoints; the views of small minorities should not be included at all. Care must be taken with ] to ensure the overall presentation and section headings are broadly neutral. Beware of ], and biased, malicious or overly promotional content. | |||
The idea expressed in ] |
The idea expressed in ]—that every Misplaced Pages article is a work in progress, and that it is therefore okay for an article to be ''temporarily'' unbalanced because it will eventually be brought into shape—does {{em|not}} apply to biographies. Given their potential impact on biography subjects' lives, biographies must be fair to their subjects at all times. | ||
===Attack pages=== | ===Attack pages=== | ||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Attack |
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Attack page|Misplaced Pages:Criteria for speedy deletion#G10}} | ||
Pages that are unsourced and negative in tone, especially when they appear to have been created to disparage the subject, should be deleted at once if there is no policy-compliant version to revert to; see |
Pages that are unsourced and negative in tone, especially when they appear to have been created primarily to disparage the subject, should be deleted at once if there is no policy-compliant version to revert to; {{xref|see {{section link ||Summary deletion, creation prevention, and courtesy blanking}}, below}}. Non-administrators should tag them with {{tl|db-attack}} or {{tl|db-negublp}}. Creation of such pages, especially when repeated or in bad faith, is grounds for immediate blocking. | ||
==Reliable sources== | ==Reliable sources== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPSOURCES}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPRS|WP:BLPSOURCES|WP:BLPSOURCE}} | ||
===Challenged or likely to be challenged=== | |||
{{main|WP:SOURCES}} | |||
Misplaced Pages's sourcing policy, ], says that all quotations and any material '''challenged or likely to be challenged''' must be attributed to a reliable, published source using an ]; material not meeting this standard may be removed. This policy extends that principle, adding that contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be removed immediately and without discussion. This applies whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable, and whether it is in a biography or in some other article. Material should not be added to an article when the only sourcing is ]. When material is both verifiable and noteworthy, it will have appeared in more reliable sources. | |||
===<span class="anchor" id="CHALLENGE"></span> Challenged or likely to be challenged=== | |||
===Remove unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material=== | |||
{{See also|Misplaced Pages:Verifiability#Reliable sources|Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Editing of Biographies of Living Persons#Principles}} | |||
{{seealso|Misplaced Pages:Libel}} | |||
Misplaced Pages's sourcing policy, ], says that all quotations and any material {{strong|challenged or likely to be challenged}} must be attributed to a reliable, published source using an ]; material not meeting this standard may be removed. This policy extends that principle, adding that {{strong|contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be removed immediately and without discussion}}. This applies whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable and whether it is in a biography or in some other article. The material should not be added to an article when the only sources are ]. When material is both verifiable and noteworthy, it will have appeared in more reliable sources. | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:GRAPEVINE|WP:BLPREMOVE}} | |||
Remove immediately any contentious material about a living person that is unsourced or poorly sourced; that is a conjectural interpretation of a source (see ]); that relies on self-published sources, unless written by the subject of the BLP (see ]); or that relies on sources that fail in some other way to meet ] standards. Note: although the ], what counts as exempt under BLP can be controversial. Editors who find themselves in edit wars over potentially defamatory material about living persons should consider raising the matter at the ] instead of relying on the exemption. | |||
===<span class="anchor" id="Misuse of primary sources"></span> Avoid misuse of primary sources=== | |||
Administrators may enforce the removal of clear BLP violations with page protection or by blocking the violator(s), even if they have been editing the article themselves or are in some other way involved. In less clear cases they should request the attention of an ] administrator at ]. | |||
<!-- This Anchor tag serves to provide a permanent target for incoming section links. Please do not move it out of the section heading, even though it disrupts edit summary generation (you can manually fix the edit summary before saving your changes). Please do not modify it, even if you modify the section title. It is always best to anchor an old section header that has been changed so that links to it won't be broken. See ] for details. (This text: ]) --> | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:No original research#Primary}} | |||
===Avoid gossip and feedback loops=== | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPGOSSIP}} | |||
Avoid repeating gossip. Ask yourself whether the source is reliable; whether the material is being presented as true; and whether, even if true, it is relevant to a disinterested article about the subject. Be wary of sources that use ]s and that attribute material to anonymous sources. Also beware of feedback loops, in which material in a Misplaced Pages article gets picked up by a source, which is later cited in the Misplaced Pages article to support the original edit. | |||
===Avoid misuse of primary sources=== | |||
{{see|WP:PRIMARY}} | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPPRIMARY}} | {{shortcut|WP:BLPPRIMARY}} | ||
Exercise extreme caution in using primary sources. Do |
Exercise extreme caution in using primary sources. Do {{strong|{{em|not}}}} use trial transcripts and other court records, or other public documents, to support assertions about a living person. Do {{strong|{{em|not}}}} use public records that include personal details, such as date of birth, home value, traffic citations, vehicle registrations, and home or business addresses. Where primary-source material has been discussed by a reliable secondary source, it {{em|may}} be acceptable to rely on it to augment the secondary source, subject to the restrictions of this policy, ], and the other sourcing policies.{{efn|Please note that ] require exceptional sources.}} | ||
===Self-published sources=== | |||
Where primary-source material has been discussed by a reliable secondary source, it ''may'' be acceptable to rely on it to augment the secondary source, subject to the restrictions of this policy, ], and the other sourcing policies.<ref name="Exceptional">Please note that ] require exceptional sources</ref> | |||
====Avoid self-published sources==== | |||
{{anchor|Avoid self-published sources}} | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPSPS}} | {{shortcut|WP:BLPSPS}} | ||
Never use self-published |
Never use ]—including but not limited to books, ]s, websites, blogs, podcasts, and social network posts—as sources of material about a living person, unless written or published {{strong|by the subject of the article}}. "Self-published blogs" in this context refers to personal and group blogs. It does not refer to a reputable organisation publishing material about who it employs or to whom and why it grants awards, for example. Some news organizations host online columns that they call blogs, and these may be acceptable as sources so long as the writers are professionals and the blog is subject to the newspaper's full editorial control. Posts left by readers are never acceptable as sources. See {{section link||Images}} below for our policy on self-published images. | ||
====Using the subject as a self-published source==== | ====Using the subject as a self-published source==== | ||
{{ |
{{shortcut|WP:BLPSELFPUB}} | ||
{{further|Misplaced Pages:Verifiability#Self-published sources}} | |||
Living persons may publish material about themselves, such as through press releases or personal websites. Such material may be used as a source only if: | |||
There are living persons who publish material {{strong|about themselves}}, such as through press releases or personal websites. Such material may be used as a source only if: | |||
# it is not unduly self-serving; | # it is not unduly self-serving; | ||
# it does not involve claims about third parties;{{efn|For allegations of crime or misconduct that involve multiple parties, or the conduct of one party towards another, a denial would not constitute a "claim about third parties". If a self-published denial does additionally make claims about third parties, those additional claims do fall under this criteria, and do not merit inclusion in Misplaced Pages.}} | |||
# it does not involve claims about third parties; | |||
# it does not involve claims about events not directly related to the subject; | # it does not involve claims about events not directly related to the subject; | ||
# there is no reasonable doubt as to its authenticity; | # there is no reasonable doubt as to its authenticity; and | ||
# the article is not based primarily on such sources. | # the article is not based primarily on such sources. | ||
===Avoid gossip and feedback loops=== | |||
{{anchor|Further reading and external links}} | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPGOSSIP}} | |||
===Further reading, external links, and see also=== | |||
{{See also|WP:NOTNEWS{{!}}Misplaced Pages is not a newspaper|Misplaced Pages:Identifying reliable sources#Breaking news}} | |||
Avoid repeating ]. Ask yourself whether the source is reliable; whether the material is being presented as true; and whether, even if true, it is relevant to a disinterested article about the subject. Be wary of relying on sources that use ]s and that attribute material to anonymous sources. Also beware of ], in which material in a Misplaced Pages article is picked up by a source, which is later cited in the Misplaced Pages article to support the original edit. | |||
===Remove contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced<span class="anchor" id="Rm1"></span><span class="anchor" id="Remove contentious material"></span><span class="anchor" id="Remove unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material"></span>=== | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:GRAPEVINE|WP:BLPREMOVE}} | |||
{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Libel}} | |||
Remove immediately any contentious material about a living person that: | |||
# is unsourced or poorly sourced; | |||
# is an original interpretation or analysis of a source, or a synthesis of sources {{xref|(see also ])}}; | |||
# relies on self-published sources, unless written by the subject of the BLP {{xref|(see {{section link ||Using the subject as a self-published source}}, above)}}; or | |||
# relies on sources that fail in some other way to meet ] standards. | |||
Note that, although the ], what counts as exempt under BLP can be controversial. Editors who find themselves in edit wars over potentially defamatory material about living persons should consider raising the matter at the ] instead of relying on the exemption. | |||
Administrators may enforce the removal of clear BLP violations with page protection or by blocking the violator(s), even if they have been editing the article themselves or are in some other way involved. In less clear cases they should request the attention of an ] administrator at the ]. {{xref|See {{section link ||Role of administrators}}, below}}. | |||
===<span class="anchor" id="Further reading and external links"></span> Further reading, External links, and See also=== | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPEL|WP:BLPFR|WP:BLPSEEALSO}} | {{shortcut|WP:BLPEL|WP:BLPFR|WP:BLPSEEALSO}} | ||
External links about living persons, whether in BLPs or elsewhere, are held to a higher standard than for other topics. ] or ] should not be included in the "Further reading" or "External links" sections of BLPs, and, when including such links in other articles, make sure the material linked to does not violate this policy. Self-published sources written or published by the subject of a BLP may be included in the |
External links about living persons, whether in BLPs or elsewhere, are held to a higher standard than for other topics. ] or ] should not be included in the "Further reading" or "External links" sections of BLPs, and, when including such links in other articles, make sure the material linked to does not violate this policy. Self-published sources written or published by the subject of a BLP may be included in the "Further reading" or "External links" sections of that BLP with caution {{xref|(see {{section link||Using the subject as a self-published source}}, above)}}. In general, do not link to websites that contradict the spirit of this policy or violate the ]. Where that guideline is inconsistent with this or any other policy, the policies prevail. | ||
"See also" links, whether placed in ] or in a note within the text, should not be used to imply any contentious labeling, association, or claim regarding a living person, and must adhere to Misplaced Pages's policy of ]. | |||
==Presumption in favor of privacy== | ==Presumption in favor of privacy== | ||
===Avoid victimization=== | ===Avoid victimization=== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:AVOIDVICTIM}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:AVOIDVICTIM|WP:VICTIMIZE}} | ||
When writing about a person noteworthy only for one or two events, including every detail can lead to |
When writing about a person noteworthy only for one or two events, including every detail can lead to problems—even when the material is well sourced. When in doubt, biographies should be pared back to a version that is completely sourced, neutral, and on-topic. This is of particular importance when dealing with living individuals whose notability stems largely or entirely from being victims of another's actions. Misplaced Pages editors must not act, intentionally or otherwise, in a way that amounts to participating in or prolonging the victimization. | ||
===Public figures=== | ===Public figures=== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:PUBLICFIGURE|WP:WELLKNOWN}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:PUBLICFIGURE|WP:WELLKNOWN|WP:BLPPUBLIC}} | ||
{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Who is a low-profile individual}} | |||
In the case of ]s, there will be a multitude of reliable published sources, and BLPs should simply document what these sources say. If an allegation or incident is noteworthy, relevant, and well-documented, it belongs in the article – even if it is negative and the subject dislikes all mention of it. If you cannot find ''multiple'' reliable third-party sources documenting the allegation or incident, leave it out. | |||
In the case of ]s, there will be a multitude of reliable published sources, and BLPs should simply document what these sources say. If an allegation or incident is noteworthy, relevant, and well documented, it belongs in the article—even if it is negative and the subject dislikes all mention of it. If you cannot find {{em|multiple}} reliable ] documenting the allegation or incident, leave it out. | |||
* '''Example''': "John Doe had a messy divorce from Jane Doe." Is this important to the article, and was it published by third-party reliable sources? If not, leave it out, or stick to the facts: "John Doe and Jane Doe were divorced." | |||
* '''Example:''' "John Doe had a messy divorce from Jane Doe." Is the divorce important to the article, and was it published by third-party reliable sources? If not, leave it out. If so, ] and stick to the facts: "John Doe and Jane Doe divorced." | |||
* '''Example''': A politician is alleged to have had an affair. He or she denies it, but multiple major newspapers publish the allegations, and there is a public scandal. The allegation belongs in the biography, citing those sources. However, it should only state that the politician was ''alleged'' to have had the affair, not that he actually ''did''. If the subject has denied such allegations, that should also be reported. | |||
* '''Example:''' A politician is alleged to have had an affair. It is denied, but multiple major newspapers publish the allegations, and there is a public scandal. The allegation belongs in the biography, citing those sources. It should state only that the politician was {{em|alleged}} to have had the affair, not that the affair actually {{em|occurred}}. | |||
{{anchor|Denial}}If the subject has denied such allegations, their denial(s) should be reported too. | |||
===<span class="anchor" id="Relatively unknown"></span> People who are relatively unknown=== | |||
{{Redirect|WP:NPF|information regarding newly created pages on Misplaced Pages ("New Pages Feed")|Misplaced Pages:Page Curation|the New Pages Feed itself|Special:NewPagesFeed}} | |||
{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Who is a low-profile individual}} | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:NOTPUBLICFIGURE|WP:NPF}} | |||
Many Misplaced Pages articles contain material on people who are not well known, regardless of whether they are ] enough for their own article. In such cases, exercise restraint and include {{em|only}} material relevant to the person's notability, focusing on high-quality ]. Material published by the subject may be used, but with caution {{xref|(see {{slink||Using the subject as a self-published source}}, above)}}. Material that may adversely affect a person's reputation should be treated with special care; in many jurisdictions, repeating a defamatory claim is actionable, and there are additional protections for subjects who are not public figures. | |||
===Privacy of personal information and using primary sources=== | ===Privacy of personal information and using primary sources=== | ||
{{redirect|Misplaced Pages:Personal information|violations of Misplaced Pages editors' privacy|Misplaced Pages:Harassment#Posting of personal information}} | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPPRIVACY|WP:DOB}} | {{shortcut|WP:BLPPRIVACY|WP:DOB}} | ||
With ] a serious ongoing concern, |
With ] a serious ongoing concern, many people regard their full names and dates of birth as private. Misplaced Pages includes full names and dates of birth that have been widely published by reliable sources, or by sources linked to the subject such that it may reasonably be inferred that the subject does not object to the details being made public. If a subject complains about our inclusion of their date of birth, or the person is borderline ], err on the side of caution and simply list the year, provided that there is a reliable source for it. In a similar vein, articles should not include postal addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other contact information for living persons, although links to ] are generally permitted. See {{slink||Avoid misuse of primary sources}} regarding the misuse of primary sources to obtain personal information about subjects. | ||
The standard for inclusion of personal information of living persons is higher than mere existence of a reliable source that could be verified.<ref>{{Section link|Misplaced Pages talk:Biographies of living persons/Archive 45#Removal of WP:DOB}}</ref> | |||
===People who are relatively unknown=== | |||
{{redirect|WP:NPF|the New Pages Feed|Special:NewPagesFeed}} | |||
If multiple independent ] state differing years or dates of birth in conflict, include all birth dates/years for which a reliable source exists, clearly noting discrepancies. In this situation, editors must not include only one date/year which they consider "most likely", or include merely a single date from one of two or more reliable sources. ] must not be used to extrapolate the date of birth.<ref>{{Section link|Misplaced Pages:Village pump (policy)/Archive 165#People's birthdate, conflicting (reliable) sources, and WP:SYNTHESIS}}</ref> (e.g. ]) | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:NOTPUBLICFIGURE|WP:NPF}} | |||
Many Misplaced Pages articles contain material on people who are not well known, even if they are ] enough for their own article. In such cases, exercise restraint and include ''only'' material relevant to the person's notability, focusing on high-quality ]. Material published by the subject may be used, but with caution; see ]. Material that may adversely affect a person's reputation should be treated with special care; in many jurisdictions, repeating a defamatory claim is actionable, and there are additional protections for subjects who are not public figures. | |||
A verified social media account of an article subject saying about themselves something along the lines of "today is my 50th birthday" may fall under ] for purposes of reporting a full date of birth. It may be usable if there is no reason to doubt it.<ref>{{slink|Misplaced Pages talk:Biographies of living persons/Archive 48#Tweets announcing "Happy birthday to me! I'm 21 today!"}}</ref> | |||
If you see personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, account numbers, etc. in a BLP or anywhere on Misplaced Pages, edit the page to remove it and {{strong|]}} so that they can evaluate it and possibly remove it from the page history. To reduce the chances of triggering the ], use a bland/generic edit summary and {{em|do not}} mention that you will be requesting Oversight. | |||
====Privacy of names==== | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPNAME|WP:LPNAME}} | |||
Caution should be applied when identifying individuals who are discussed primarily in terms of a single event. When the name of a private individual has not been widely disseminated or has been intentionally concealed, such as in certain court cases or occupations, it is often preferable to omit it, especially when doing so does not result in a significant loss of context. When deciding whether to include a name, its publication in secondary sources other than news media, such as scholarly journals or the work of recognized experts, should be afforded greater weight than the brief appearance of names in news stories. Consider whether the inclusion of names of living private individuals who are not directly involved in an article's topic adds significant value. | |||
The presumption in favor of privacy is strong in the case of family members of articles' subjects and other loosely involved, otherwise low-profile persons. The names of any immediate, former, or significant family members or any significant relationship of the subject of a BLP may be part of an article, if reliably sourced, subject to editorial discretion that such information is relevant to a reader's complete understanding of the subject.{{efn|This is generally interpreted by the community to include the removal of names of non-notable minors from articles about their notable family members, such as when a notable individual births or sires a non-notable minor. Notability is not presumed or inherited with extremely limited exception (such as heir to a throne or similar).}} Names of family members who are not also notable public figures {{em|must}} be removed from an article if they are not properly sourced. | |||
===Deadnaming of transgender people=== | |||
<noinclude>{{Shortcut|WP:RVDEADNAME}}</noinclude> | |||
Sometimes vandals come to Misplaced Pages to intentionally ] in violation of our guidelines. In such cases, you should revert the change as we treat it as a ] and contact an ] the redaction of the deadname by ] to redact it from the edit logs as a BLP violation. | |||
If a particular BLP article is repeatedly vandalized, requesting an increase of the ] under the ] Arbitration Enforcement can be requested for the page in question. | |||
===Subjects notable only for one event=== | ===Subjects notable only for one event=== | ||
<!-- "Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)#People notable for only one event" links here --> | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLP1E}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:BLP1E}} | ||
{{See|Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)#People notable for only one event}} | {{See|Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)#People notable for only one event|Misplaced Pages:What BLP1E is not}} | ||
]. Being in the news does not in itself mean that someone should be the subject of a Misplaced Pages article. We |
]. Being in the news does not in itself mean that someone should be the subject of a Misplaced Pages article. We generally should avoid having an article on a person when each of three conditions is met: | ||
# Reliable sources cover the person only in the context of a single event. | |||
# The person otherwise remains, and is likely to remain, a ]. Biographies in these cases can give undue weight to the event and conflict with ]. In such cases, it is usually better to ] the information and ] the person's name to the event article. | |||
# The event is not significant or the individual's role was either not substantial or not well documented. ], for example, has a separate article because the single event he was associated with, the ], was significant, and his role was both substantial and well documented. | |||
The significance of an event or individual is indicated by how persistent the coverage is in reliable sources. It is important for editors to understand two clear differentiations of the '']'' guideline (''WP:BIO1E'') when compared |
The significance of an event or the individual's role is indicated by how persistent the coverage is in reliable sources. It is important for editors to understand two clear differentiations of the '']'' guideline ('']'') when compared with this policy (''WP:BLP1E''): ''WP:BLP1E'' should be applied only to biographies of {{em|living}} people, or those who have recently died, and to biographies of ]. | ||
In addition, some subject |
In addition, some subject-specific notability guidelines, such as ], provide criteria that may support the notability of certain individuals who are known chiefly for one event. | ||
===<span class="anchor" id="BLPCRIME"></span><span class="anchor" id="BLPCRIM"></span><span class="anchor" id="CRIME"></span> People accused of crime=== | |||
==={{Anchor|BLPCRIM}}Persons accused of crime=== | |||
<!--Don't remove ] (or edit the name within their doubled, curly brackets).-->{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Notability (events)#Criminal acts|Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)#Crime victims and perpetrators}}{{shortcut|WP:BLPCRIME}} | <!--Don't remove ] (or edit the name within their doubled, curly brackets).-->{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Notability (events)#Criminal acts|Misplaced Pages:Notability (people)#Crime victims and perpetrators}}{{shortcut|WP:BLPCRIME|WP:SUSPECT}} | ||
A living person accused of a crime is ] until convicted by a court of law. Accusations, investigations, arrests and charges do not amount to a conviction. For individuals who are ]—that is, individuals not covered by {{section link||Public figures}}—editors must seriously consider {{strong|not}} including material—in any article—that suggests the person has committed or is accused of having committed a crime, unless a conviction has been secured for that crime. | |||
A person accused of a crime is ] and convicted by a court of law. For people who are relatively unknown, editors must give serious consideration to '''not''' including material in any article suggesting that the person has committed, or is accused of committing, a crime unless a conviction is secured.<ref name="What is a conviction?">Generally, a conviction is secured through court or magisterial proceedings. Accusations, investigations, and arrests on suspicion of involvement do not amount to a conviction. BLPCRIME applies to low-profile individuals and not to well-known individuals, in whose cases ] is the appropriate policy to follow.</ref> If different judicial proceedings result in seemingly contradictory judgements that do not override each other,<ref name="Contradictory judgements">An example of this situation is the ], where the former footballer ] was acquitted in 1995 of the crime of murdering ] and ], but was found liable of their ] in a civil trial two years later.</ref> refrain from using pithy descriptors or absolutes and instead use more explanatory information. | |||
If different judicial proceedings result in seemingly contradictory outcomes that do not overrule each other,{{efn|For example, ] was ] in 1995 of the murder of ] and ], but was later found liable for their ]s in a civil trial.}} include sufficient explanatory information. | |||
===Privacy of names=== | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPNAME}} | |||
Caution should be applied when identifying individuals who are discussed primarily in terms of a single event. When the name of a private individual has not been widely disseminated or has been intentionally concealed, such as in certain court cases or occupations, it is often preferable to omit it, especially when doing so does not result in a significant loss of context. When deciding whether to include a name, its publication in secondary sources other than news media, such as scholarly journals or the work of recognized experts, should be afforded greater weight than the brief appearance of names in news stories. Consider whether the inclusion of names of living private individuals who are not directly involved in an article's topic adds significant value. The presumption in favor of privacy is strong in the case of family members of articles' subjects and other loosely involved, otherwise low-profile persons. | |||
==Use in continued disputes <span class="anchor" id="Importation of off-wiki disputes into Misplaced Pages"></span> <span class="anchor" id="Using BLPs to continue disputes"></span>== | |||
The names of any immediate, ex, or significant family members or any significant relationship of the subject of a BLP may be part of an article, if reliably sourced, subject to editorial discretion that such information is relevant to a reader's complete understanding of the subject. However, names of family members who are not also notable public figures ''must'' be removed from an article if they are not properly sourced. | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPCOI}} | |||
Misplaced Pages articles concerning living persons may include material—where relevant, properly weighted, and reliably sourced—about controversies or disputes in which the article subject has been involved. Misplaced Pages is not a forum provided for parties to off-wiki disputes to continue their hostilities. Experience has shown that misusing Misplaced Pages to perpetuate legal, political, social, literary, scholarly, or other disputes is harmful to the subjects of biographical articles, to other parties in the dispute, and to Misplaced Pages itself. | |||
Therefore, an editor who is involved in a significant controversy or dispute with another individual—whether on- or off-wiki—or who is an avowed rival of that individual, should not edit that person's biography or other material about that person, given the ]. More generally, editors who have a strongly negative or positive view of the subject of a biographical article should be especially careful to edit that article ], if they choose to edit it at all.{{efn|The , Columbia University: "A conflict of interest involves the abuse – actual, apparent, or potential – of the trust that people have in professionals. The simplest working definition states: A conflict of interest is a situation in which financial or other personal considerations have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment and objectivity. An apparent conflict of interest is one in which a reasonable person would think that the professional's judgment is likely to be compromised. A potential conflict of interest involves a situation that may develop into an actual conflict of interest. It is important to note that a conflict of interest exists whether or not decisions are affected by a personal interest; a conflict of interest implies only the potential for bias, not a likelihood. It is also important to note that a conflict of interest is not considered misconduct in research, since the definition for misconduct is currently limited to fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism."{{pb}} | |||
==Where BLP does and does not apply== | |||
: "Conflicts of interest, real or apparent, may arise in many areas. They may involve tensions between journalists' professional obligations to our audience and their relationships with news sources, advocacy groups, advertisers, or competitors; with one another; or with the company or one of its units. And at a time when two-career families are the norm, the civic and professional activities of spouses, household members and other relatives can create conflicts or the appearance of them."}} | |||
BLP applies to all material about living persons anywhere on Misplaced Pages, including talk pages, edit summaries, user pages, images, and categories. It does not apply to the deceased or to corporations, but see below for advice regarding those areas. | |||
==Applicability== | |||
{{Anchor|Applicability of the policy}} | |||
BLP applies to all material about living persons anywhere on Misplaced Pages, including talk pages, edit summaries, user pages, images, categories, lists, article titles and ]. | |||
===Non-article space=== | ===Non-article space=== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPTALK}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPTALK}} | ||
Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced and not related to making content choices |
Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced and not related to making content choices should be removed, deleted, or ], as appropriate. When seeking advice about whether to publish something about a living person, be careful not to post so much information on the talk page that the inquiry becomes moot. For example, it would be appropriate to begin a discussion by stating {{tq| has serious allegations about the subject; should we summarize this someplace in the article?}} The same principle applies to problematic images. Questionable claims already discussed can be removed with a reference to the previous discussion. | ||
The BLP policy also applies to user and user talk pages. The single exception is that users may make any claim they wish about themselves in their user space, so long as they are not engaged in impersonation, and subject to ], though minors are discouraged from disclosing identifying personal information on their userpages; for more information, see ]. |
The BLP policy also applies to user and user talk pages. The single exception is that users may make any claim they wish about themselves in their user space, so long as they are not engaged in impersonation, and subject to ], though minors are discouraged from disclosing identifying personal information on their userpages; for more information, see ].{{efn|See ] and its talk page.}} Although this policy applies to posts about Wikipedians in project space, some leeway is permitted to allow the handling of administrative issues by the community, but administrators may delete such material if it rises to the level of defamation, or if it constitutes a violation of ]. | ||
===<span class="anchor" id="BLPABUSE"></span>Usernames=== | |||
<!--Don't remove ] (or edit the name within their doubled, curly brackets).--> | |||
{{see also|Misplaced Pages:Username policy#Usernames with libelous, contentious, or non-public information}}{{shortcut|WP:BLPNAMEABUSE}} | |||
Usernames that contain libelous, blatantly false, or contentious statements or material about living persons should be '''immediately blocked''' and ]. This includes usernames that disclose any kind of non-public, private, or personally identifiable information about living persons, regardless of the legitimacy of the information and whether or not the information is correct. Requests for removing such usernames from logs should be ] to the ] team for evaluation. | |||
===Images=== | ===Images=== | ||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:No original research#Original images}} | {{see|Misplaced Pages:No original research#Original images}} | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:MUG}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:MUG|WP:BLPIMAGE}} | ||
Images of living persons should not be used out of context to present a person in a false or disparaging light. This is particularly important for police booking photographs (mugshots), or situations where the subject |
Images of living persons should not be used out of context to present a person in a false or disparaging light. This is particularly important for police booking photographs (mugshots), or situations where the subject did not expect to be photographed. Because a police booking photograph can imply that the person depicted was charged with or convicted of a specific crime, a top-quality ] with a widely acknowledged reputation for fact-checking and accuracy that links the photograph to the specific incident or crime in question must be cited. | ||
Images of living persons that have been created by Wikipedians or others may be used only if they have been released under a copyright licence that is compatible with ]. | |||
===Categories, lists and navigation templates=== | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPCAT}} | |||
{{See also|Misplaced Pages:Categorization of people|Misplaced Pages:Categories, lists, and navigation templates|Misplaced Pages:Categorization/Ethnicity, gender, religion and sexuality}} | |||
===Categories, lists, and navigation templates=== | |||
] names do not carry disclaimers or modifiers, so the case for each content category must be made clear by the article text and its reliable sources. Categories regarding religious beliefs or sexual orientation should not be used unless the subject has publicly self-identified with the belief or orientation in question, and the subject's beliefs or sexual orientation are relevant to their public life or ], according to reliable published sources. | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPCAT|WP:BLPLIST}} | |||
{{See also|Misplaced Pages:Categorizing articles about people|Misplaced Pages:Categories, lists, and navigation templates}} | |||
] names do not carry disclaimers or modifiers, so the case for each content category must be made clear by the article text and its ] ]. Categories regarding ]s (or lack of such) or ] should not be used unless the subject has publicly self-identified with the belief (or lack of such) or orientation in question, and the subject's beliefs or sexual orientation are relevant to their public life or ], according to reliable published sources. | |||
Caution should be used with content categories that suggest a person has a poor reputation (see ]). For example, ] and its subcategories should only be added for an incident that is relevant to the person's ]; the incident was published by reliable third-party sources; the subject was convicted; and the conviction was not overturned on appeal. | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPCRIMINAL|WP:BLPRACIST}} | |||
These principles apply equally to lists, navigation templates, and {{Tl|Infobox}} statements (referring to living persons within ''any'' Misplaced Pages page) that are based on religious beliefs or sexual orientation or suggest that any living person has a poor reputation. This policy does not limit the use of administrative categories for WikiProjects, article clean-up, or other normal editor activities. | |||
{{Anchor|CRIMINAL|RACIST|SEXIST|EXTREMIST}} | |||
Caution should be used with content categories that suggest a person has a poor reputation (see ]). For example, ] and its subcategories should be added only for an incident that is relevant to the person's ]; the incident was published by reliable ]; the subject was convicted; and the conviction was not overturned on appeal. Do not categorize biographies of living people under such contentious topics as ], ], ], and the like, since these have the effect of ] as a racist, sexist, or extremist. {{Crossref |(See also {{slink|Misplaced Pages:Overcategorization|Subjective inclusion criteria}} and {{slink|Misplaced Pages:Overcategorization|Opinion about a question or issue}}.)}} | |||
These principles apply equally to {{strong|lists, navigation templates, and {{Tl|Infobox}} statements (referring to living persons within {{em|any}} Misplaced Pages page)}} that are based on religious beliefs (or lack of such) or sexual orientation or suggest that any living person has a poor reputation. This policy does not limit the use of administrative categories for WikiProjects, article clean-up, or other normal editor activities. | |||
===Recently dead or probably dead=== | ===Recently dead or probably dead=== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BDP}} | {{Policy shortcut|WP:BDP}} | ||
Anyone born within the past 115 years (on or after {{date|}} {{LASTYEAR|115}} <small></small>) is covered by this policy unless a reliable source has confirmed their death. Generally, this policy <em><strong>does not apply to material concerning people who are confirmed dead by reliable sources.</strong></em> The only exception would be for people who have recently died, in which case the policy can extend for an indeterminate period beyond the date of death—six months, one year, two years at the outside. Such extensions would apply particularly to contentious or questionable material about the subject that has implications for their living relatives and friends, such as in the case of a possible suicide or particularly gruesome crime. Even without confirmation of death, for the purposes of this policy, anyone born more than 115 years ago is presumed dead {{em|unless}} reliable sources confirm the person to have been living within the past two years. If the date of birth is unknown, editors should use reasonable judgement to infer—from dates of events noted in the article—if it is plausible that the person was born within the last 115 years and is therefore covered by this policy. | |||
Anyone born within the past 115 years is covered by this policy unless a reliable source has confirmed their death. Generally, this policy does not apply to material concerning people who are confirmed dead by reliable sources. The only exception would be for people who have recently died, in which case the policy can extend for an indeterminate period beyond the date of death - six months, one year, two years at the outside. Such extensions would apply particularly to contentious or questionable material about the dead that has implications for their living relatives and friends, such as in the case of a possible suicide or a particularly gruesome crime. In the absence of confirmation of death, anyone born longer than 115 years ago is presumed dead unless listed at oldest people. | |||
===Legal persons and groups=== | ===Legal persons and groups=== | ||
Line 149: | Line 202: | ||
This policy does not normally apply to material about corporations, companies, or other entities regarded as ]s, though any such material must be written in accordance with other content policies. The extent to which the BLP policy applies to edits about groups is complex and must be judged on a case-by-case basis. A harmful statement about a small group or organization comes closer to being a BLP problem than a similar statement about a larger group; and when the group is very small, it may be impossible to draw a distinction between the group and the individuals that make up the group. When in doubt, make sure you are using ]. | This policy does not normally apply to material about corporations, companies, or other entities regarded as ]s, though any such material must be written in accordance with other content policies. The extent to which the BLP policy applies to edits about groups is complex and must be judged on a case-by-case basis. A harmful statement about a small group or organization comes closer to being a BLP problem than a similar statement about a larger group; and when the group is very small, it may be impossible to draw a distinction between the group and the individuals that make up the group. When in doubt, make sure you are using ]. | ||
==Maintenance== | |||
==Importation of off-wiki disputes into Misplaced Pages== | |||
{{Anchor|Maintenance of BLPs}} | |||
===Importance=== | |||
Misplaced Pages articles concerning living persons may include material—where relevant, properly weighted, and reliably sourced—concerning controversies or disputes in which the article subject has been involved. However, Misplaced Pages is not a forum provided for parties to off-wiki disputes to engage in or continue their hostilities. Experience has shown that misusing Misplaced Pages biographies to perpetuate legal, political, social, literary, scholarly, or other feuds and disputes is harmful to the subjects of biographical articles, to the other parties to the dispute, and to Misplaced Pages itself. | |||
{{dablink|Report BLP incidents at the ].}} | |||
Misplaced Pages contains ]. From both a legal and an ethical standpoint, it is essential that a determined effort be made to eliminate defamatory and other inappropriate material from these articles, but these concerns must be balanced against other concerns, such as allowing articles to show a bias in the subject's favor by removing appropriate material simply because the subject objects to it, or allowing articles about non-] publicity-seekers to be retained. When in doubt about whether material in a BLP is appropriate, the article should be pared back to a policy-compliant version. Sometimes the use of administrative tools such as ] and ] is necessary for the enforcement of this policy, and in extreme cases ] by Wikimedia Foundation staff is required. | |||
===<span class="anchor" id="Templates"></span> Templates=== | |||
Therefore, an editor who is involved in a significant off-wiki controversy or dispute with another individual, or who is an avowed rival of that individual, should not edit that person's biography. More generally, editors who have a strongly negative view regarding the subject of an article, just like editors with a strongly positive view of the subject, should be especially careful to edit that article neutrally if they choose to edit it at all. | |||
{{tl|BLP}} alerting readers to this policy may be added to the talk pages of BLPs and other articles that focus on living persons. {{tl|Blpo}} is suitable for articles containing material on the deceased that also contains material about living persons. If a {{tl|WikiProject Biography}} template is present, you can add <code>|living=yes</code> to the template parameters. If a {{tl|WikiProject banner shell}} template is also present, add <code>|blp=yes</code> to it. | |||
For articles, {{tl|BLP dispute}} may be used on BLPs needing attention; {{tl|BLP sources}} on BLPs needing better sourcing (an alternative is {{tl|BLP primary sources}}); and {{tl|BLP unsourced}} for those with no sources at all. | |||
==Maintenance of BLPs== | |||
===Importance of maintenance=== | |||
{{dablink|Report BLP incidents at the ].}} | |||
Misplaced Pages contains ]. From both a legal and ethical standpoint it is essential that a determined effort be made to eliminate defamatory and other inappropriate material from these articles, but these concerns must be balanced against other concerns, such as allowing articles to show a bias in the subject's favor by removing appropriate material simply because the subject objects to it, or allowing articles about non-] publicity-seekers to be retained. When in doubt about whether material in a BLP is appropriate, the article should be pared back to a policy-compliant version. Sometimes the use of administrative tools such as ] and ] is necessary for the enforcement of this policy, and in extreme cases ] by Wikimedia Foundation staff is required. | |||
===Semi-protection, protection, and blocking=== | |||
Administrators who suspect malicious or biased editing, or believe that inappropriate material may be added or restored, may protect or semi-protect pages in accordance with the ]. Editors who repeatedly add or restore contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced may be blocked under ] for disruption; see the ]. | |||
===Templates=== | |||
{{tl|BLP}} alerting readers to this policy may be added to the talk pages of BLPs and other articles that focus on living persons. {{tl|Blpo}} is suitable for articles containing material on the deceased that also contains material about living persons. If a {{tl|WPBiography}} template is present, you can add <code>|living=yes</code> to the template parameters. If a {{tl|WikiProjectBannerShell}} template is also present, add <code>|blp=yes</code> to it. | |||
For articles, {{tl|BLP dispute}} may be used on BLPs needing attention; {{tl|BLP sources}} on BLPs needing better sourcing (an alternative is {{tl|BLP primary sources}}); and {{tl|BLP unsourced}} for those with no sources at all. {{tl|BLP noticeboard}} should be placed on the talk page of BLP articles that are being discussed on the ]. | |||
For editors violating this policy, the following can be used to warn them on their talk pages: | For editors violating this policy, the following can be used to warn them on their talk pages: | ||
* {{tl|uw-biog1}} | * {{tl|uw-biog1}} | ||
* {{tl|uw-biog2}} |
* {{tl|uw-biog2}} | ||
* {{tl|uw-biog3}} | |||
* {{tl|uw- |
* {{tl|uw-biog4}} | ||
* {{tl|uw- |
* {{tl|uw-biog4im}} | ||
* {{tl| |
* {{tl|uw-bioblock}} for when a block is issued | ||
The template {{tl|BLP removal}} can be used on |
The template {{tl|BLP removal}} can be used on the talk page of an article to explain why material has been removed under this policy, and under what conditions the material may be replaced. | ||
==Deletion of BLPs== | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPDEL|WP:BLPDELETE}} | |||
===Summary deletion, creation prevention, and courtesy blanking=== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy#Deletion of biographies and BLPs}} | |||
Biographical material about a living individual that is not compliant with this policy should be improved and rectified; if this is not possible, then it should be removed. If the entire page is substantially of poor quality, primarily containing contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced, then it may be necessary to delete the entire page as an initial step, followed by discussion. | |||
Page deletion is normally a last resort. If a dispute centers around a page's inclusion (e.g., because of questionable ] or where the subject has requested deletion), this is addressed via ] rather than by summary deletion. Summary deletion is appropriate when the page contains unsourced negative material or is written non-neutrally, and when this cannot readily be rewritten or restored to an earlier version of an acceptable standard. The deleting administrator should be prepared to explain the action to others, by e-mail if the material is sensitive. Those who object to the deletion should bear in mind that the deleting admin may be aware of issues that others are not. Disputes may be taken to ], but protracted public discussion should be avoided for deletions involving sensitive personal material about living persons, particularly if it is negative. Such debates may be ] upon conclusion. After the deletion, any administrator may choose to ]. Even if the page is not protected against re-creation, it should not be re-created unless a consensus is demonstrated in support of re-creation. | |||
===Deletion of BLPs of relatively unknown subjects=== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy#Deletion of biographies and BLPs}} | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPREQUESTDELETE}} | |||
Where the subject of a BLP has requested deletion, the ] says: "Discussions concerning ] of relatively unknown, ], where the subject has requested deletion and there is no rough consensus, may be closed as delete. | |||
Poorly sourced ] of unknown, non-public figures, where the discussions have no editor opposing the deletion, may be deleted after discussions have been completed." | |||
===Restoring deleted content=== | |||
To ensure that material about living people is written neutrally to a high standard, and based on high-quality reliable sources, the ] is on those who wish to retain, restore, or undelete the disputed material. | |||
When material about living persons has been deleted on good-faith BLP objections, any editor wishing to add, restore, or undelete it must ensure it complies with Misplaced Pages's content policies. If it is to be restored without significant change, consensus must be obtained first, and wherever possible disputed deletions should be discussed first with the administrator who deleted the article. Material that has been repaired to address concerns should be judged on a case-by-case basis. | |||
===Proposed deletion of biographies of living people=== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Proposed deletion of biographies of living people}} | |||
As of April 3, 2010, a new proposed deletion process was established, requiring all BLPs created after March 18, 2010, to have at least one source that supports at least one statement made about the person in the article, or it can be ]. This is known as a BLPPROD. The tag may not be removed until a reliable source is provided, and if none is forthcoming, the article may be deleted after ten days. This does not affect the other deletion processes mentioned in the BLP policy and elsewhere. | |||
==Relationship between the subject, the article, and Misplaced Pages== | ==Relationship between the subject, the article, and Misplaced Pages== | ||
===Dealing with edits by the subject of the article=== | ===Dealing with edits by the subject of the article=== | ||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPEDIT}} | {{shortcut|WP:BLPEDIT|WP:BLPKIND|WP:BLPKINDNESS}} | ||
Subjects sometimes become involved in editing material about themselves, either directly or through a representative. The ] has ruled in favor of showing leniency to BLP subjects who try to fix what they see as errors or unfair material. |
Subjects sometimes become involved in editing material about themselves, either directly or through a representative. The ] has ruled in favor of showing leniency to BLP subjects who try to fix what they see as errors or unfair material. {{strong|Editors should make every effort to act with kindness toward the subjects of biographical material when the subjects arrive to express concern.}} | ||
Although Misplaced Pages discourages people from ], removal of unsourced or poorly sourced material is acceptable. When a logged-out editor blanks all or part of a BLP, this might be the subject attempting to remove problematic material. Edits like these by subjects should not be treated as vandalism; instead, the subject should be invited to explain their concerns. The Arbitration Committee established the following principle in December 2005: | |||
<blockquote>], a guideline, admonishes Misplaced Pages users to consider the obvious fact that new users of Misplaced Pages will do things wrong from time to time. For those who either have or might have an article about themselves it is a temptation, especially if plainly wrong, or strongly negative information is included, to become involved in questions regarding their own article. This can open the door to rather immature behavior and loss of dignity. It is a violation of don't bite the newbies to strongly criticize users who fall into this trap rather than seeing this phenomenon as a new editor mistake.<ref>]. Passed 6-0-1.</ref></blockquote> | |||
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| quote=], a guideline, advises Misplaced Pages users to consider the obvious fact that new users of Misplaced Pages will do things wrong from time to time. For those who either have or might have an article about themselves, there is a temptation—especially if apparently wrong or strongly negative information is included in such an article—to become involved in questions regarding their own article. This can open the door to rather immature behavior and loss of dignity for the new user. It is a violation of ] to strongly criticize users who fall into this trap, rather than see this phenomenon as a new editor mistake.<ref>{{Section link|Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Rangerdude#Mercy}}. Passed 6-0-1.</ref> | |||
}} | |||
===Dealing with articles about yourself=== | ===Dealing with articles about yourself=== | ||
{{shortcut|WP:BIOSELF|WP:BLPSELF|WP:BLPCOMPLAIN|WP:BLPCOMPLAINT}} | {{shortcut|WP:BIOSELF|WP:BLPSELF|WP:BLPCOMPLAIN|WP:BLPCOMPLAINT}} | ||
{{further|Misplaced Pages:Autobiography#Problems in an article about you|Misplaced Pages:FAQ/Article subjects}} | |||
Misplaced Pages has editorial policies that will often help to resolve your concern, as well as many users willing to help, and a wide range of escalation processes. Very obvious errors can be fixed quickly, including by yourself. But beyond that, post suggestions on the article talk page, or place {{tl|adminhelp}} on your ]. You may also post an explanation of your concern on the ] and request that uninvolved editors evaluate the article to make sure it is fairly written and properly sourced. Please bear in mind that Misplaced Pages is almost entirely operated by volunteers, and impolite behavior, even if entirely understandable, will often be less effective. See ''']''' for how to contact the Wikimedia Foundation. | |||
Misplaced Pages has editorial policies that will often help to resolve your concern, as well as many users willing to help and a wide range of escalation processes. Very obvious errors can be fixed quickly, including by yourself. But beyond that, post suggestions on the article talk page (''see ]''), or place {{tl|help me}} on your ]. You may also post an explanation of your concern on the ] and ask that uninvolved editors evaluate the article to make sure it is fairly written and properly sourced. | |||
If you are an article subject and you find the article about you contains your personal information or potentially libelous statements, {{strong|]}} so that they can evaluate the issue and possibly ]. | |||
Please bear in mind that Misplaced Pages is almost entirely operated by volunteers; impolite or demanding behavior, even if entirely understandable, will often be less effective. | |||
===Legal issues=== | ===Legal issues=== | ||
Subjects who have legal or other serious concerns about material they find about themselves on a Misplaced Pages page, whether in a BLP or elsewhere, may contact the Wikimedia Foundation's ] (known as |
Subjects who have legal or other serious concerns about material they find about themselves on a Misplaced Pages page, whether in a BLP or elsewhere, may contact the Wikimedia Foundation's ] (known as VRT). Please e-mail | ||
{{strong|}} with a link to the article and details of the problem; for more information on how to get an error corrected, see {{strong|]}}. It is usually better to ask for help rather than trying to change the material yourself. | |||
As noted above, individuals involved in a significant legal or other off-wiki dispute with the subject of a biographical article are strongly discouraged from editing that article. | As noted above, individuals involved in a significant legal or other off-wiki dispute with the subject of a biographical article are strongly discouraged from editing that article. | ||
===How to contact the Wikimedia Foundation=== | ===How to contact the Wikimedia Foundation=== | ||
}}]] | |||
{{seealso|Wikimedia Foundation}} | {{seealso|Wikimedia Foundation}} | ||
If you are not satisfied with the response of editors and admins to a concern about biographical material about living persons, you can contact the Wikimedia Foundation directly. See {{strong|]}} for details. | |||
''']] | |||
If you are not satisfied with the response of editors and admins to a concern about biographical material about living persons, you can contact the Wikimedia Foundation directly. See ] for contact details. | |||
===Wikimedia Foundation resolution=== | ===Wikimedia Foundation resolution=== | ||
{{see|Foundation:Resolution:Biographies of living people}} | {{see|Foundation:Resolution:Biographies of living people}} | ||
On April 9, 2009, the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees passed a resolution regarding Wikimedia's handling of material about living persons. It noted that there are problems with some BLPs being overly promotional in tone, being vandalized, and containing errors and smears. The Foundation urges that special attention be paid to neutrality and verifiability regarding living persons; that human dignity and personal privacy be taken into account, especially in articles of ephemeral or marginal interest |
On April 9, 2009, the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees passed a resolution regarding Wikimedia's handling of material about living persons. It noted that there are problems with some BLPs being overly promotional in tone, being vandalized, and containing errors and smears. The Foundation urges that special attention be paid to neutrality and verifiability regarding living persons; that human dignity and personal privacy be taken into account, especially in articles of ephemeral or marginal interest; and that anyone who has a complaint about how they are described on the project's websites be treated with patience, kindness, and respect. | ||
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==Role of administrators== | ||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPADMINS}} | |||
Administrators, please see ] for placing biography of living persons sanctions on editors in violation of policy. These were imposed per ]. | |||
===Page protection and blocks=== | |||
{{Anchor|Page protection, blocks}} | |||
Administrators who suspect malicious or biased editing, or believe that inappropriate material may be added or restored, may protect pages. Administrators may enforce the removal of clear BLP violations with page protection or by blocking the violator(s), even if they have been editing the article themselves or are in some other way involved. In less clear cases, they should request the attention of an uninvolved administrator at ]. | |||
See {{section link||Templates}} for appropriate templates to use when warning or blocking for BLP violations. | |||
===Contentious topics=== | |||
{{anchor|Discretionary sanctions|Contentious topic}} | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPCT|WP:BLPDS}} | |||
"All living or recently deceased subjects of biographical content on Misplaced Pages articles" have been designated as a ] by the ]. In this area, Misplaced Pages's norms and policies are more strictly enforced and Misplaced Pages administrators have additional authority to reduce disruption to the project. | |||
===Deletion=== | |||
{{Policy shortcut|WP:BLPDEL|WP:BLPDELETE}}{{Anchor|Deletion of BLPs}} | |||
====Summary deletion, creation prevention, and courtesy blanking==== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy#Deletion of biographies and BLPs}} | |||
Biographical material about a living individual that is not compliant with this policy should be improved and rectified; if this is not possible, then it should be removed. If the entire page is substantially of poor quality, primarily containing contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced, then it may be necessary to delete the entire page as an initial step, followed by discussion if requested. | |||
Page deletion is normally a last resort. If a dispute centers around a page's inclusion (e.g., because of questionable ] or where the subject has requested deletion), this is addressed via ] rather than by summary deletion. Summary deletion is appropriate when the page contains unsourced negative material or is written non-neutrally, and when this cannot readily be rewritten or restored to an earlier version of an acceptable standard. The deleting administrator should be prepared to explain the action to others, by e-mail if the material is sensitive. Those who object to the deletion should bear in mind that the deleting admin may be aware of issues that others are not. Disputes may be taken to ], but protracted public discussion should be avoided for deletions involving sensitive personal material about living persons, particularly if it is negative. Such debates may be courtesy blanked upon conclusion. After the deletion, any administrator may choose to ]. Even if the page is not protected against re-creation, it should not be re-created unless a consensus has demonstrated support of re-creation that is consistent with our policies. | |||
====Relatively unknown subjects==== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy#Deletion of biographies and BLPs}}{{Anchor|Deletion of BLPs of relatively unknown subjects}} | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPREQUESTDELETE}} | |||
Where the living subject of a biographical article has requested deletion, the ] says: "Discussions concerning ] of relatively unknown, ], where the subject has requested deletion and there is no rough consensus, {{em|may}} be closed as delete." In addition, it says: "Poorly sourced ] of unknown, non-public figures, where the discussions have no editor opposing the deletion, {{em|may}} be deleted after discussions have been completed." | |||
====Restoration==== | |||
{{shortcut|WP:BLPUNDEL|WP:BLPRESTORE|WP:BLPREQUESTRESTORE}}{{Anchor|Restoring deleted content}} | |||
To ensure that material about living people is written neutrally to a high standard, and based on high-quality reliable sources, the ] is on those who wish to retain, restore, or undelete the disputed material. | |||
When material about living persons has been deleted on good-faith BLP objections, any editor wishing to add, restore, or undelete it must ensure it complies with Misplaced Pages's content policies. If it is to be restored without significant change, consensus must be obtained first. Material that has been repaired to address concerns should be judged on a case-by-case basis. | |||
In the case of an administrator deleting a complete article, wherever possible such disputed deletions should be discussed first with the administrator who deleted the article. | |||
====Proposals==== | |||
{{see|Misplaced Pages:Proposed deletion of biographies of living people}}{{Anchor|Proposed deletion of biographies of living people}} | |||
All BLPs must have at least one source that supports at least one statement made about the person in the article, or it may be proposed for deletion. ] may not be removed until a reliable source is provided, and if none is forthcoming, the article may be deleted after seven days. This does not affect other deletion processes mentioned in BLP policy and elsewhere. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Commons|Template:Personality rights}} | {{Commons|Template:Personality rights}} | ||
{{Misplaced Pages glossary}} | {{Misplaced Pages glossary}} | ||
{{Div col}} | |||
;'''Foundation policies and resolutions''' | |||
===Foundation policies and resolutions=== | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ], |
* ], amended November 2013. | ||
===Arbitration cases=== | |||
* ], July 2007. | * ], July 2007. | ||
* ], June 2008. | |||
* ], January 2010. | * ], January 2010. | ||
* ], September 2011. | * ], September 2011. | ||
===Policies=== | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
===Guidelines=== | |||
;'''Requests for comment''' | |||
* ] | |||
* Requests for comment/Biographies of living people – ]; ], January 2010 | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
===Requests for comment=== | |||
* Requests for comment/Biographies of living people—]; ] | |||
===FAQs=== | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
===Essays=== | |||
{{category see also|User essays on BLP}} | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
===Discussion forums=== | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
===Related pages=== | |||
* ] | * ] | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
{{Div col end}} | |||
* ] | |||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
{{ |
{{notelist|30em}} | ||
==References== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
* ] | * ] | ||
{{Misplaced Pages policies and guidelines}} | |||
{{Misplaced Pages policies and guidelines}} | |||
] | ] | ||
] | ] | ||
] | ] |
Latest revision as of 16:23, 23 December 2024
Misplaced Pages policy on material about living personsFor the guideline on whether a person is sufficiently noteworthy to have an article, see Misplaced Pages:Notability (people).This page documents an English Misplaced Pages policy.It describes a widely accepted standard that editors should normally follow, though exceptions may apply. Changes made to it should reflect consensus. | Shortcut |
Report problems about particular biographical material on Misplaced Pages to the biographies of living persons noticeboard. See also § Dealing with articles about yourself, below. |
This page in a nutshell: Material about living persons added to any Misplaced Pages page must be written with the greatest care and attention to verifiability, neutrality, and avoidance of original research. |
Do you find this page confusing? Do you need help? | |
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Just use this link to ask for help on your talk page; a volunteer will visit you there shortly! |
Editors must take particular care when adding information about living persons to any Misplaced Pages page, including but not limited to articles, talk pages, project pages, and drafts. Such material requires a high degree of sensitivity, and must adhere strictly to all applicable laws in the United States, to this policy, and to Misplaced Pages's three core content policies:
- Neutral point of view (NPOV)
- Verifiability (V)
- No original research (NOR)
Misplaced Pages must get the article right. Be very firm about the use of high-quality sources. All quotations and any material challenged or likely to be challenged must be supported by an inline citation to a reliable, published source. Contentious material about living persons (or, in some cases, recently deceased) that is unsourced or poorly sourced—whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable—must be removed immediately and without waiting for discussion. Users who persistently or egregiously violate this policy may be blocked from editing.
Biographies of living persons ("BLPs") must be written conservatively and with regard for the subject's privacy. Misplaced Pages is an encyclopedia, not a tabloid: it is not Misplaced Pages's job to be sensationalist, or to be the primary vehicle for the spread of titillating claims about people's lives; the possibility of harm to living subjects must always be considered when exercising editorial judgment. This policy applies to any living person mentioned in a BLP, whether or not that person is the subject of the article, and to material about living persons in other articles and on other pages, including talk pages. The burden of evidence rests with the editor who adds or restores the material.
Content policies |
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Writing style
ShortcutTone
BLPs should be written responsibly, cautiously, and in a dispassionate tone, avoiding both understatement and overstatement. Articles should document in a non-partisan manner what reliable secondary sources have published about the subjects, and in some circumstances what the subjects have published about themselves. Summarize how actions and achievements are characterized by reliable sources without giving undue weight to recent events. Do not label people with contentious labels, loaded language, or terms that lack precision, unless a person is commonly described that way in reliable sources. Instead use clear, direct language and let facts alone do the talking.
Balance
Shortcut Further information: Misplaced Pages:Coatrack articlesCriticism and praise should be included if they can be sourced to reliable secondary sources, so long as the material is presented responsibly, conservatively, and in a disinterested tone. Do not give disproportionate space to particular viewpoints; the views of small minorities should not be included at all. Care must be taken with article structure to ensure the overall presentation and section headings are broadly neutral. Beware of claims that rely on guilt by association, and biased, malicious or overly promotional content.
The idea expressed in Eventualism—that every Misplaced Pages article is a work in progress, and that it is therefore okay for an article to be temporarily unbalanced because it will eventually be brought into shape—does not apply to biographies. Given their potential impact on biography subjects' lives, biographies must be fair to their subjects at all times.
Attack pages
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Attack page and Misplaced Pages:Criteria for speedy deletion § G10Pages that are unsourced and negative in tone, especially when they appear to have been created primarily to disparage the subject, should be deleted at once if there is no policy-compliant version to revert to; see § Summary deletion, creation prevention, and courtesy blanking, below. Non-administrators should tag them with {{db-attack}} or {{db-negublp}}. Creation of such pages, especially when repeated or in bad faith, is grounds for immediate blocking.
Reliable sources
ShortcutsChallenged or likely to be challenged
See also: Misplaced Pages:Verifiability § Reliable sources, and Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Editing of Biographies of Living Persons § PrinciplesMisplaced Pages's sourcing policy, Verifiability, says that all quotations and any material challenged or likely to be challenged must be attributed to a reliable, published source using an inline citation; material not meeting this standard may be removed. This policy extends that principle, adding that contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced should be removed immediately and without discussion. This applies whether the material is negative, positive, neutral, or just questionable and whether it is in a biography or in some other article. The material should not be added to an article when the only sources are tabloid journalism. When material is both verifiable and noteworthy, it will have appeared in more reliable sources.
Avoid misuse of primary sources
Further information: Misplaced Pages:No original research § Primary ShortcutExercise extreme caution in using primary sources. Do not use trial transcripts and other court records, or other public documents, to support assertions about a living person. Do not use public records that include personal details, such as date of birth, home value, traffic citations, vehicle registrations, and home or business addresses. Where primary-source material has been discussed by a reliable secondary source, it may be acceptable to rely on it to augment the secondary source, subject to the restrictions of this policy, no original research, and the other sourcing policies.
Self-published sources
Avoid self-published sources
Shortcut
Never use self-published sources—including but not limited to books, zines, websites, blogs, podcasts, and social network posts—as sources of material about a living person, unless written or published by the subject of the article. "Self-published blogs" in this context refers to personal and group blogs. It does not refer to a reputable organisation publishing material about who it employs or to whom and why it grants awards, for example. Some news organizations host online columns that they call blogs, and these may be acceptable as sources so long as the writers are professionals and the blog is subject to the newspaper's full editorial control. Posts left by readers are never acceptable as sources. See § Images below for our policy on self-published images.
Using the subject as a self-published source
Shortcut Further information: Misplaced Pages:Verifiability § Self-published sourcesThere are living persons who publish material about themselves, such as through press releases or personal websites. Such material may be used as a source only if:
- it is not unduly self-serving;
- it does not involve claims about third parties;
- it does not involve claims about events not directly related to the subject;
- there is no reasonable doubt as to its authenticity; and
- the article is not based primarily on such sources.
Avoid gossip and feedback loops
Shortcut See also: Misplaced Pages is not a newspaper and Misplaced Pages:Identifying reliable sources § Breaking newsAvoid repeating gossip. Ask yourself whether the source is reliable; whether the material is being presented as true; and whether, even if true, it is relevant to a disinterested article about the subject. Be wary of relying on sources that use weasel words and that attribute material to anonymous sources. Also beware of circular reporting, in which material in a Misplaced Pages article is picked up by a source, which is later cited in the Misplaced Pages article to support the original edit.
Remove contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced
Shortcuts See also: Misplaced Pages:LibelRemove immediately any contentious material about a living person that:
- is unsourced or poorly sourced;
- is an original interpretation or analysis of a source, or a synthesis of sources (see also Misplaced Pages:No original research);
- relies on self-published sources, unless written by the subject of the BLP (see § Using the subject as a self-published source, above); or
- relies on sources that fail in some other way to meet verifiability standards.
Note that, although the three-revert rule does not apply to such removals, what counts as exempt under BLP can be controversial. Editors who find themselves in edit wars over potentially defamatory material about living persons should consider raising the matter at the biographies of living persons noticeboard instead of relying on the exemption.
Administrators may enforce the removal of clear BLP violations with page protection or by blocking the violator(s), even if they have been editing the article themselves or are in some other way involved. In less clear cases they should request the attention of an uninvolved administrator at the administrators' noticeboard/Incidents page. See § Role of administrators, below.
Further reading, External links, and See also
ShortcutsExternal links about living persons, whether in BLPs or elsewhere, are held to a higher standard than for other topics. Questionable or self-published sources should not be included in the "Further reading" or "External links" sections of BLPs, and, when including such links in other articles, make sure the material linked to does not violate this policy. Self-published sources written or published by the subject of a BLP may be included in the "Further reading" or "External links" sections of that BLP with caution (see § Using the subject as a self-published source, above). In general, do not link to websites that contradict the spirit of this policy or violate the external links guideline. Where that guideline is inconsistent with this or any other policy, the policies prevail.
"See also" links, whether placed in their own section or in a note within the text, should not be used to imply any contentious labeling, association, or claim regarding a living person, and must adhere to Misplaced Pages's policy of no original research.
Presumption in favor of privacy
Avoid victimization
ShortcutsWhen writing about a person noteworthy only for one or two events, including every detail can lead to problems—even when the material is well sourced. When in doubt, biographies should be pared back to a version that is completely sourced, neutral, and on-topic. This is of particular importance when dealing with living individuals whose notability stems largely or entirely from being victims of another's actions. Misplaced Pages editors must not act, intentionally or otherwise, in a way that amounts to participating in or prolonging the victimization.
Public figures
Shortcuts See also: Misplaced Pages:Who is a low-profile individualIn the case of public figures, there will be a multitude of reliable published sources, and BLPs should simply document what these sources say. If an allegation or incident is noteworthy, relevant, and well documented, it belongs in the article—even if it is negative and the subject dislikes all mention of it. If you cannot find multiple reliable third-party sources documenting the allegation or incident, leave it out.
- Example: "John Doe had a messy divorce from Jane Doe." Is the divorce important to the article, and was it published by third-party reliable sources? If not, leave it out. If so, avoid use of "messy" and stick to the facts: "John Doe and Jane Doe divorced."
- Example: A politician is alleged to have had an affair. It is denied, but multiple major newspapers publish the allegations, and there is a public scandal. The allegation belongs in the biography, citing those sources. It should state only that the politician was alleged to have had the affair, not that the affair actually occurred.
If the subject has denied such allegations, their denial(s) should be reported too.
People who are relatively unknown
"WP:NPF" redirects here. For information regarding newly created pages on Misplaced Pages ("New Pages Feed"), see Misplaced Pages:Page Curation. For the New Pages Feed itself, see Special:NewPagesFeed. See also: Misplaced Pages:Who is a low-profile individual ShortcutsMany Misplaced Pages articles contain material on people who are not well known, regardless of whether they are notable enough for their own article. In such cases, exercise restraint and include only material relevant to the person's notability, focusing on high-quality secondary sources. Material published by the subject may be used, but with caution (see § Using the subject as a self-published source, above). Material that may adversely affect a person's reputation should be treated with special care; in many jurisdictions, repeating a defamatory claim is actionable, and there are additional protections for subjects who are not public figures.
Privacy of personal information and using primary sources
"Misplaced Pages:Personal information" redirects here. For violations of Misplaced Pages editors' privacy, see Misplaced Pages:Harassment § Posting of personal information. ShortcutsWith identity theft a serious ongoing concern, many people regard their full names and dates of birth as private. Misplaced Pages includes full names and dates of birth that have been widely published by reliable sources, or by sources linked to the subject such that it may reasonably be inferred that the subject does not object to the details being made public. If a subject complains about our inclusion of their date of birth, or the person is borderline notable, err on the side of caution and simply list the year, provided that there is a reliable source for it. In a similar vein, articles should not include postal addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or other contact information for living persons, although links to websites maintained by the subject are generally permitted. See § Avoid misuse of primary sources regarding the misuse of primary sources to obtain personal information about subjects.
The standard for inclusion of personal information of living persons is higher than mere existence of a reliable source that could be verified.
If multiple independent reliable sources state differing years or dates of birth in conflict, include all birth dates/years for which a reliable source exists, clearly noting discrepancies. In this situation, editors must not include only one date/year which they consider "most likely", or include merely a single date from one of two or more reliable sources. Original research must not be used to extrapolate the date of birth. (e.g. Joan Crawford#Notes)
A verified social media account of an article subject saying about themselves something along the lines of "today is my 50th birthday" may fall under self-published sources for purposes of reporting a full date of birth. It may be usable if there is no reason to doubt it.
If you see personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, account numbers, etc. in a BLP or anywhere on Misplaced Pages, edit the page to remove it and contact the oversight team so that they can evaluate it and possibly remove it from the page history. To reduce the chances of triggering the Streisand effect, use a bland/generic edit summary and do not mention that you will be requesting Oversight.
Privacy of names
ShortcutsCaution should be applied when identifying individuals who are discussed primarily in terms of a single event. When the name of a private individual has not been widely disseminated or has been intentionally concealed, such as in certain court cases or occupations, it is often preferable to omit it, especially when doing so does not result in a significant loss of context. When deciding whether to include a name, its publication in secondary sources other than news media, such as scholarly journals or the work of recognized experts, should be afforded greater weight than the brief appearance of names in news stories. Consider whether the inclusion of names of living private individuals who are not directly involved in an article's topic adds significant value.
The presumption in favor of privacy is strong in the case of family members of articles' subjects and other loosely involved, otherwise low-profile persons. The names of any immediate, former, or significant family members or any significant relationship of the subject of a BLP may be part of an article, if reliably sourced, subject to editorial discretion that such information is relevant to a reader's complete understanding of the subject. Names of family members who are not also notable public figures must be removed from an article if they are not properly sourced.
Deadnaming of transgender people
ShortcutSometimes vandals come to Misplaced Pages to intentionally deadname transgender people in violation of our guidelines. In such cases, you should revert the change as we treat it as a privacy interest and contact an administrator willing to handle the redaction of the deadname by revision deletions to redact it from the edit logs as a BLP violation.
If a particular BLP article is repeatedly vandalized, requesting an increase of the page protections under the WP:GENSEX Arbitration Enforcement can be requested for the page in question.
Subjects notable only for one event
Shortcut Further information: Misplaced Pages:Notability (people) § People notable for only one event, and Misplaced Pages:What BLP1E is notMisplaced Pages is not news, or an indiscriminate collection of information. Being in the news does not in itself mean that someone should be the subject of a Misplaced Pages article. We generally should avoid having an article on a person when each of three conditions is met:
- Reliable sources cover the person only in the context of a single event.
- The person otherwise remains, and is likely to remain, a low-profile individual. Biographies in these cases can give undue weight to the event and conflict with neutral point of view. In such cases, it is usually better to merge the information and redirect the person's name to the event article.
- The event is not significant or the individual's role was either not substantial or not well documented. John Hinckley Jr., for example, has a separate article because the single event he was associated with, the Reagan assassination attempt, was significant, and his role was both substantial and well documented.
The significance of an event or the individual's role is indicated by how persistent the coverage is in reliable sources. It is important for editors to understand two clear differentiations of the people notable for only one event guideline (WP:BIO1E) when compared with this policy (WP:BLP1E): WP:BLP1E should be applied only to biographies of living people, or those who have recently died, and to biographies of low-profile individuals.
In addition, some subject-specific notability guidelines, such as Misplaced Pages:Notability (sports), provide criteria that may support the notability of certain individuals who are known chiefly for one event.
People accused of crime
See also: Misplaced Pages:Notability (events) § Criminal acts, and Misplaced Pages:Notability (people) § Crime victims and perpetratorsShortcutsA living person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until convicted by a court of law. Accusations, investigations, arrests and charges do not amount to a conviction. For individuals who are not public figures—that is, individuals not covered by § Public figures—editors must seriously consider not including material—in any article—that suggests the person has committed or is accused of having committed a crime, unless a conviction has been secured for that crime.
If different judicial proceedings result in seemingly contradictory outcomes that do not overrule each other, include sufficient explanatory information.
Use in continued disputes
ShortcutMisplaced Pages articles concerning living persons may include material—where relevant, properly weighted, and reliably sourced—about controversies or disputes in which the article subject has been involved. Misplaced Pages is not a forum provided for parties to off-wiki disputes to continue their hostilities. Experience has shown that misusing Misplaced Pages to perpetuate legal, political, social, literary, scholarly, or other disputes is harmful to the subjects of biographical articles, to other parties in the dispute, and to Misplaced Pages itself.
Therefore, an editor who is involved in a significant controversy or dispute with another individual—whether on- or off-wiki—or who is an avowed rival of that individual, should not edit that person's biography or other material about that person, given the potential conflict of interest. More generally, editors who have a strongly negative or positive view of the subject of a biographical article should be especially careful to edit that article neutrally, if they choose to edit it at all.
Applicability
BLP applies to all material about living persons anywhere on Misplaced Pages, including talk pages, edit summaries, user pages, images, categories, lists, article titles and drafts.
Non-article space
ShortcutContentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced and not related to making content choices should be removed, deleted, or oversighted, as appropriate. When seeking advice about whether to publish something about a living person, be careful not to post so much information on the talk page that the inquiry becomes moot. For example, it would be appropriate to begin a discussion by stating This link has serious allegations about the subject; should we summarize this someplace in the article?
The same principle applies to problematic images. Questionable claims already discussed can be removed with a reference to the previous discussion.
The BLP policy also applies to user and user talk pages. The single exception is that users may make any claim they wish about themselves in their user space, so long as they are not engaged in impersonation, and subject to what Misplaced Pages is not, though minors are discouraged from disclosing identifying personal information on their userpages; for more information, see here. Although this policy applies to posts about Wikipedians in project space, some leeway is permitted to allow the handling of administrative issues by the community, but administrators may delete such material if it rises to the level of defamation, or if it constitutes a violation of no personal attacks.
Usernames
See also: Misplaced Pages:Username policy § Usernames with libelous, contentious, or non-public informationShortcutUsernames that contain libelous, blatantly false, or contentious statements or material about living persons should be immediately blocked and suppressed from all revisions and logs. This includes usernames that disclose any kind of non-public, private, or personally identifiable information about living persons, regardless of the legitimacy of the information and whether or not the information is correct. Requests for removing such usernames from logs should be reported to the Oversight team for evaluation.
Images
Further information: Misplaced Pages:No original research § Original images ShortcutsImages of living persons should not be used out of context to present a person in a false or disparaging light. This is particularly important for police booking photographs (mugshots), or situations where the subject did not expect to be photographed. Because a police booking photograph can imply that the person depicted was charged with or convicted of a specific crime, a top-quality reliable source with a widely acknowledged reputation for fact-checking and accuracy that links the photograph to the specific incident or crime in question must be cited.
Images of living persons that have been created by Wikipedians or others may be used only if they have been released under a copyright licence that is compatible with Misplaced Pages:Image use policy.
Categories, lists, and navigation templates
Shortcuts See also: Misplaced Pages:Categorizing articles about people and Misplaced Pages:Categories, lists, and navigation templatesCategory names do not carry disclaimers or modifiers, so the case for each content category must be made clear by the article text and its verifiable reliable sources. Categories regarding religious beliefs (or lack of such) or sexual orientation should not be used unless the subject has publicly self-identified with the belief (or lack of such) or orientation in question, and the subject's beliefs or sexual orientation are relevant to their public life or notability, according to reliable published sources.
ShortcutsCaution should be used with content categories that suggest a person has a poor reputation (see false light). For example, Category:Criminals and its subcategories should be added only for an incident that is relevant to the person's notability; the incident was published by reliable third-party sources; the subject was convicted; and the conviction was not overturned on appeal. Do not categorize biographies of living people under such contentious topics as racism, sexism, extremism, and the like, since these have the effect of labeling a person as a racist, sexist, or extremist. (See also Misplaced Pages:Overcategorization § Subjective inclusion criteria and Misplaced Pages:Overcategorization § Opinion about a question or issue.)
These principles apply equally to lists, navigation templates, and {{Infobox}} statements (referring to living persons within any Misplaced Pages page) that are based on religious beliefs (or lack of such) or sexual orientation or suggest that any living person has a poor reputation. This policy does not limit the use of administrative categories for WikiProjects, article clean-up, or other normal editor activities.
Recently dead or probably dead
ShortcutAnyone born within the past 115 years (on or after 24 December 1909 ) is covered by this policy unless a reliable source has confirmed their death. Generally, this policy does not apply to material concerning people who are confirmed dead by reliable sources. The only exception would be for people who have recently died, in which case the policy can extend for an indeterminate period beyond the date of death—six months, one year, two years at the outside. Such extensions would apply particularly to contentious or questionable material about the subject that has implications for their living relatives and friends, such as in the case of a possible suicide or particularly gruesome crime. Even without confirmation of death, for the purposes of this policy, anyone born more than 115 years ago is presumed dead unless reliable sources confirm the person to have been living within the past two years. If the date of birth is unknown, editors should use reasonable judgement to infer—from dates of events noted in the article—if it is plausible that the person was born within the last 115 years and is therefore covered by this policy.
Legal persons and groups
ShortcutThis policy does not normally apply to material about corporations, companies, or other entities regarded as legal persons, though any such material must be written in accordance with other content policies. The extent to which the BLP policy applies to edits about groups is complex and must be judged on a case-by-case basis. A harmful statement about a small group or organization comes closer to being a BLP problem than a similar statement about a larger group; and when the group is very small, it may be impossible to draw a distinction between the group and the individuals that make up the group. When in doubt, make sure you are using high-quality sources.
Maintenance
Importance
Report BLP incidents at the biographies of living persons noticeboard.Misplaced Pages contains over a million articles about living persons. From both a legal and an ethical standpoint, it is essential that a determined effort be made to eliminate defamatory and other inappropriate material from these articles, but these concerns must be balanced against other concerns, such as allowing articles to show a bias in the subject's favor by removing appropriate material simply because the subject objects to it, or allowing articles about non-notable publicity-seekers to be retained. When in doubt about whether material in a BLP is appropriate, the article should be pared back to a policy-compliant version. Sometimes the use of administrative tools such as page protection and deletion is necessary for the enforcement of this policy, and in extreme cases action by Wikimedia Foundation staff is required.
Templates
{{BLP}} alerting readers to this policy may be added to the talk pages of BLPs and other articles that focus on living persons. {{Blpo}} is suitable for articles containing material on the deceased that also contains material about living persons. If a {{WikiProject Biography}} template is present, you can add |living=yes
to the template parameters. If a {{WikiProject banner shell}} template is also present, add |blp=yes
to it.
For articles, {{BLP dispute}} may be used on BLPs needing attention; {{BLP sources}} on BLPs needing better sourcing (an alternative is {{BLP primary sources}}); and {{BLP unsourced}} for those with no sources at all.
For editors violating this policy, the following can be used to warn them on their talk pages:
- {{uw-biog1}}
- {{uw-biog2}}
- {{uw-biog3}}
- {{uw-biog4}}
- {{uw-biog4im}}
- {{uw-bioblock}} for when a block is issued
The template {{BLP removal}} can be used on the talk page of an article to explain why material has been removed under this policy, and under what conditions the material may be replaced.
Relationship between the subject, the article, and Misplaced Pages
Dealing with edits by the subject of the article
ShortcutsSubjects sometimes become involved in editing material about themselves, either directly or through a representative. The Arbitration Committee has ruled in favor of showing leniency to BLP subjects who try to fix what they see as errors or unfair material. Editors should make every effort to act with kindness toward the subjects of biographical material when the subjects arrive to express concern.
Although Misplaced Pages discourages people from writing about themselves, removal of unsourced or poorly sourced material is acceptable. When a logged-out editor blanks all or part of a BLP, this might be the subject attempting to remove problematic material. Edits like these by subjects should not be treated as vandalism; instead, the subject should be invited to explain their concerns. The Arbitration Committee established the following principle in December 2005:
Misplaced Pages:Please do not bite the newcomers, a guideline, advises Misplaced Pages users to consider the obvious fact that new users of Misplaced Pages will do things wrong from time to time. For those who either have or might have an article about themselves, there is a temptation—especially if apparently wrong or strongly negative information is included in such an article—to become involved in questions regarding their own article. This can open the door to rather immature behavior and loss of dignity for the new user. It is a violation of don't bite the newbies to strongly criticize users who fall into this trap, rather than see this phenomenon as a new editor mistake.
Dealing with articles about yourself
Shortcuts Further information: Misplaced Pages:Autobiography § Problems in an article about you, and Misplaced Pages:FAQ/Article subjectsMisplaced Pages has editorial policies that will often help to resolve your concern, as well as many users willing to help and a wide range of escalation processes. Very obvious errors can be fixed quickly, including by yourself. But beyond that, post suggestions on the article talk page (see Help:Talk pages), or place {{help me}} on your user talk page. You may also post an explanation of your concern on the biographies of living persons noticeboard and ask that uninvolved editors evaluate the article to make sure it is fairly written and properly sourced.
If you are an article subject and you find the article about you contains your personal information or potentially libelous statements, contact the oversight team so that they can evaluate the issue and possibly remove it from the page history.
Please bear in mind that Misplaced Pages is almost entirely operated by volunteers; impolite or demanding behavior, even if entirely understandable, will often be less effective.
Legal issues
Subjects who have legal or other serious concerns about material they find about themselves on a Misplaced Pages page, whether in a BLP or elsewhere, may contact the Wikimedia Foundation's volunteer response team (known as VRT). Please e-mail info-en-qwikimedia.org with a link to the article and details of the problem; for more information on how to get an error corrected, see here. It is usually better to ask for help rather than trying to change the material yourself.
As noted above, individuals involved in a significant legal or other off-wiki dispute with the subject of a biographical article are strongly discouraged from editing that article.
How to contact the Wikimedia Foundation
See also: Wikimedia FoundationIf you are not satisfied with the response of editors and admins to a concern about biographical material about living persons, you can contact the Wikimedia Foundation directly. See Contact us for details.
Wikimedia Foundation resolution
Further information: Foundation:Resolution:Biographies of living peopleOn April 9, 2009, the Wikimedia Foundation's Board of Trustees passed a resolution regarding Wikimedia's handling of material about living persons. It noted that there are problems with some BLPs being overly promotional in tone, being vandalized, and containing errors and smears. The Foundation urges that special attention be paid to neutrality and verifiability regarding living persons; that human dignity and personal privacy be taken into account, especially in articles of ephemeral or marginal interest; and that anyone who has a complaint about how they are described on the project's websites be treated with patience, kindness, and respect.
Role of administrators
ShortcutPage protection and blocks
Administrators who suspect malicious or biased editing, or believe that inappropriate material may be added or restored, may protect pages. Administrators may enforce the removal of clear BLP violations with page protection or by blocking the violator(s), even if they have been editing the article themselves or are in some other way involved. In less clear cases, they should request the attention of an uninvolved administrator at Misplaced Pages:Administrators Noticeboard/Incidents.
See § Templates for appropriate templates to use when warning or blocking for BLP violations.
Contentious topics
Shortcuts
"All living or recently deceased subjects of biographical content on Misplaced Pages articles" have been designated as a contentious topic by the Arbitration Committee. In this area, Misplaced Pages's norms and policies are more strictly enforced and Misplaced Pages administrators have additional authority to reduce disruption to the project.
Deletion
Shortcuts
Summary deletion, creation prevention, and courtesy blanking
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy § Deletion of biographies and BLPsBiographical material about a living individual that is not compliant with this policy should be improved and rectified; if this is not possible, then it should be removed. If the entire page is substantially of poor quality, primarily containing contentious material that is unsourced or poorly sourced, then it may be necessary to delete the entire page as an initial step, followed by discussion if requested.
Page deletion is normally a last resort. If a dispute centers around a page's inclusion (e.g., because of questionable notability or where the subject has requested deletion), this is addressed via deletion discussions rather than by summary deletion. Summary deletion is appropriate when the page contains unsourced negative material or is written non-neutrally, and when this cannot readily be rewritten or restored to an earlier version of an acceptable standard. The deleting administrator should be prepared to explain the action to others, by e-mail if the material is sensitive. Those who object to the deletion should bear in mind that the deleting admin may be aware of issues that others are not. Disputes may be taken to deletion review, but protracted public discussion should be avoided for deletions involving sensitive personal material about living persons, particularly if it is negative. Such debates may be courtesy blanked upon conclusion. After the deletion, any administrator may choose to protect it against re-creation. Even if the page is not protected against re-creation, it should not be re-created unless a consensus has demonstrated support of re-creation that is consistent with our policies.
Relatively unknown subjects
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Deletion policy § Deletion of biographies and BLPsShortcut
Where the living subject of a biographical article has requested deletion, the deletion policy says: "Discussions concerning biographical articles of relatively unknown, non-public figures, where the subject has requested deletion and there is no rough consensus, may be closed as delete." In addition, it says: "Poorly sourced biographical articles of unknown, non-public figures, where the discussions have no editor opposing the deletion, may be deleted after discussions have been completed."
Restoration
Shortcuts
To ensure that material about living people is written neutrally to a high standard, and based on high-quality reliable sources, the burden of proof is on those who wish to retain, restore, or undelete the disputed material. When material about living persons has been deleted on good-faith BLP objections, any editor wishing to add, restore, or undelete it must ensure it complies with Misplaced Pages's content policies. If it is to be restored without significant change, consensus must be obtained first. Material that has been repaired to address concerns should be judged on a case-by-case basis.
In the case of an administrator deleting a complete article, wherever possible such disputed deletions should be discussed first with the administrator who deleted the article.
Proposals
Further information: Misplaced Pages:Proposed deletion of biographies of living people
All BLPs must have at least one source that supports at least one statement made about the person in the article, or it may be proposed for deletion. The tag may not be removed until a reliable source is provided, and if none is forthcoming, the article may be deleted after seven days. This does not affect other deletion processes mentioned in BLP policy and elsewhere.
See also
This page is referenced in the Misplaced Pages Glossary.Foundation policies and resolutions
- Wikimedia Foundation privacy policy
- Wikimedia Foundation resolution on biographies of living persons, amended November 2013.
Arbitration cases
- Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Badlydrawnjeff, July 2007.
- Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Editing of BLP § Biographies of living persons, June 2008.
- Arbitration Committee/Motion regarding BLP deletions, January 2010.
- Misplaced Pages:Arbitration/Requests/Case/Manipulation of BLPs, September 2011.
Policies
Guidelines
- Autobiography
- Conflict of interest
- Fringe theories § Treatment of living persons
- Manual of Style/Biography
- Notability (people)
Requests for comment
FAQs
Essays
See also: Category:User essays on BLP- An article about yourself isn't necessarily a good thing
- Avoiding harm
- Coatrack articles
- Criticism
- Minors and persons judged incompetent
- Signatures of living persons
- Verifiable but not false
Discussion forums
Related pages
Notes
- People are presumed to be living unless there is reason to believe otherwise. This policy does not apply to people declared dead in absentia.
- For examples of arbitration cases that refer to this policy's parameters, see:
Rachel Marsden case, 28 November 2006: "Misplaced Pages:Biographies of living persons applies to all living persons in an entry, not merely the subject of the entry."
Manning naming dispute, 16 October 2013: "The biographies of living persons policy applies to all references to living persons throughout Misplaced Pages, including the titles of articles and pages and all other portions of any page."
- Please note that exceptional claims require exceptional sources.
- For allegations of crime or misconduct that involve multiple parties, or the conduct of one party towards another, a denial would not constitute a "claim about third parties". If a self-published denial does additionally make claims about third parties, those additional claims do fall under this criteria, and do not merit inclusion in Misplaced Pages.
- This is generally interpreted by the community to include the removal of names of non-notable minors from articles about their notable family members, such as when a notable individual births or sires a non-notable minor. Notability is not presumed or inherited with extremely limited exception (such as heir to a throne or similar).
- For example, O. J. Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, but was later found liable for their wrongful deaths in a civil trial.
- The Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, Columbia University: "A conflict of interest involves the abuse – actual, apparent, or potential – of the trust that people have in professionals. The simplest working definition states: A conflict of interest is a situation in which financial or other personal considerations have the potential to compromise or bias professional judgment and objectivity. An apparent conflict of interest is one in which a reasonable person would think that the professional's judgment is likely to be compromised. A potential conflict of interest involves a situation that may develop into an actual conflict of interest. It is important to note that a conflict of interest exists whether or not decisions are affected by a personal interest; a conflict of interest implies only the potential for bias, not a likelihood. It is also important to note that a conflict of interest is not considered misconduct in research, since the definition for misconduct is currently limited to fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism."
The New York Times Company: "Conflicts of interest, real or apparent, may arise in many areas. They may involve tensions between journalists' professional obligations to our audience and their relationships with news sources, advocacy groups, advertisers, or competitors; with one another; or with the company or one of its units. And at a time when two-career families are the norm, the civic and professional activities of spouses, household members and other relatives can create conflicts or the appearance of them."
- See Misplaced Pages:Credentials and its talk page.
References
- Wales, Jimmy (16 May 2006). "Zero information is preferred to misleading or false information". WikiEN-l (Mailing list). Wikimedia Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
It should be removed, aggressively, unless it can be sourced. This is true of all information, but it is particularly true of negative information about living persons.
Wales, Jimmy (19 May 2006). "Zero information is preferred to misleading or false information". WikiEN-l (Mailing list). Wikimedia Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 June 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2018.If you see an unsourced statement that would be libel if false, and it makes you feel suspicious enough to want to tag it as {{citation needed}}, please do not do that! Please just remove the statement and ask a question on the talk page.
Wales, Jimmy (4 August 2006). "Archives/Jimbo Keynote". Wikimania 2006. Wikimedia Foundation. Archived from the original on 8 August 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2018.One of the social things that I think we can do is WP:BIO I think social policies have evolved in recent years, I mean the recent months, to actually handle this problem a lot better. A lot of the admins and experienced editors are taking a really strong stand against unsourced claims, which is always a typical example of the problem. And the few people who are still sort of in the old days, saying, 'Well, you know, it's a wiki, why don't we just... ', yeah, they're sort of falling by the wayside, because lots of people are saying actually, we have a really serious responsibility to get things right.
- Misplaced Pages talk:Biographies of living persons/Archive 45 § Removal of WP:DOB
- Misplaced Pages:Village pump (policy)/Archive 165 § People's birthdate, conflicting (reliable) sources, and WP:SYNTHESIS
- Misplaced Pages talk:Biographies of living persons/Archive 48 § Tweets announcing "Happy birthday to me! I'm 21 today!"
- Misplaced Pages:Requests for arbitration/Rangerdude § Mercy. Passed 6-0-1.
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