Reporting & appeals

Two ways to report something, and a way to challenge a decision. Which one you need depends on whether the problem is a rules violation or something unlawful.

Reporting a House rules violation

Every post has a Report action in its overflow menu. Pick the closest reason and send. No account, no email address, a few seconds.

Use this for harassment, hate, threats, private information, sexual content, spam, scams and the rest of the House rules.

Reporting illegal content

If you are reporting something because it is unlawful — rather than because it breaks our rules — please send a formal notice instead. It carries more weight, it gets a reference, and it gets acknowledged.

Email [email protected] and include:

• The exact link. The URL of the specific post or comment, not just “on WallQ”.
• Why it is unlawful. Enough explanation for someone who has not seen it before to understand the problem, and which law or right is involved.
• Your name and email address, so we can acknowledge it and tell you the outcome.
• A statement of good faith — that you believe, in good faith, that the information in your notice is accurate and complete.

If you are reporting on behalf of a rights holder, say who you act for.

One exception on identity. You do not have to give your name when reporting content that may involve child sexual abuse material. That report is taken just as seriously without it.

Copyright and other rights

Rights complaints go through the same address and the same list above. Say what the work is, what right you hold, and where the infringing item is.

What happens to a report

1. It is read by a person. Reports do not delete anything automatically, and a burst of reports does not either — otherwise reporting would become a way to silence people.
2. Something may be hidden while it is looked at. A strong combination of signals can hide a post temporarily. That is a pause, not a verdict.
3. A decision is made and recorded. Allow, hide, restore or remove. Every decision is logged with a reason.
4. You are told, if we can tell you. If you gave contact details, you get an acknowledgement and the outcome.

We aim to look at reports promptly, and at anything involving a risk to someone's safety first. We are a small team and we would rather say that than promise a response time we cannot guarantee.

Report counts are never shown publicly, and we never tell the person who was reported who reported them.

Challenging a decision

If something of yours was removed

You get a plain-language reason. If you think it is wrong, email [email protected] with the link and why. A person looks again. If we got it wrong, the content is restored.

An honest limitation. WallQ has no accounts, so we can only connect an appeal to a post when it comes from the same browser that created it, or when you can identify it another way. That is the cost of not making you register, not a way of avoiding you.

If you reported something and disagree with the outcome

Reply to the acknowledgement, or write to the same address with the reference. Say what you think was missed. A different person will look where we can arrange it.

Emergencies and child safety

If someone is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services first. WallQ is not monitored around the clock and is not a crisis service.

Child sexual abuse material is removed, preserved as required, and reported to the authorities. We also notify authorities where we become aware of information giving rise to a suspicion that an offence involving a threat to someone's life or safety has taken place, is taking place, or is likely to.

Reporting in bad faith

Reports that are repeatedly wrong, or that are coordinated to silence someone, carry less weight over time and may be ignored. Reporting is not a voting system.