Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm

"WP:SOS" redirects here. For the guide to identifying potential sockpuppets, see Wikipedia:Signs of sockpuppetry.

"WP:SUICIDE" redirects here. For the guidelines on writing about suicide, see MOS:SUICIDE. For an essay on protecting Wikipedia from harm, see Wikipedia:Our social policies are not a suicide pact. For the task force, see Wikipedia:WikiProject Death/Suicide task force.

"WP:TOV" redirects here. For types of vandalism, see WP:VANDTYPES.

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

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

Notes

Advice for administrators

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

External links

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