roc wrote: <snip>
Regarding policies and procedures, I think that WMF should either dictate privacy policies of all its projects or give authorizations to the community/people it trusts, as long as it conforms with the best interests of WMF, the project, and the public. I believe that the privacy policy of Chinese Wikipedia is governed by the WMF. In this privacy policy, it is stated that "personally identifiable data...may be released by...users with CheckUser access", does it mean that checkusers/stewards are authorized to release IP information of a registered user without seeking approval for each case from the Board or Executive?
From http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Privacy_policy
When using a pseudonym, your IP address will not be available to the public except in cases of abuse, including vandalism of a wiki page by you or by another user with the same IP address. In all cases, your IP address will be stored on the wiki servers and can be seen by Wikimedia's server administrators and by users who have been granted "CheckUser" access. Your IP address, and its connection to any usernames that share it may be released under certain circumstances (see below).
<snip>
It is the policy of Wikimedia that personally identifiable data collected in the server logs, or through records in the database via the CheckUser feature, may be released by the system administrators or users with CheckUser access, in the following situations:
- In response to a valid subpoena or other compulsory request from law enforcement
- With permission of the affected user
- To the chair of Wikimedia Foundation, his legal counsel, or his designee, when necessary for investigation of abuse complaints.
- Where the information pertains to page views generated by a spider or bot and its dissemination is necessary to illustrate or resolve technical issues.
- Where the user has been vandalising articles or persistently behaving in a disruptive way, data may be released to assist in the targeting of IP blocks, or to assist in the formulation of a complaint to relevant Internet Service Providers
- Where it is reasonably necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of the Wikimedia Foundation, its users or the public.
Wikimedia policy does not permit public distribution of such information under any circumstances, except as described above.
Regards,