Policies Public-facing policies
Appeals Policy
The appeals path for moderation, claim, accuracy, ownership, and policy decisions that affect users.
- Version
- 0.1.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 6 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #39
Policy text
An appeals path that depends on knowing the right person is not an appeals path. The Appeals Policy defines a documented, human-reviewed appeals route for every category of Map.ca decision that affects a user: moderation actions, claim outcomes, accuracy disputes, ownership conflicts, and policy-driven removals. It defines the response timelines, the human-reviewer requirement (Constitution §2 principle 4), the escalation tier, and the anti-retaliation protections that prevent appealing from becoming a risk.
It applies to users affected by Map.ca decisions, Pin owners, moderators, appeals reviewers, and the leadership tier that handles escalations.
Principles this policy enforces
- AI assists, people remain responsible
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Provide a documented appeals path for every user-affecting decision category.
- Assign human reviewers, not AI, as the final authority on appeals.
- Respond within documented timelines proportionate to severity.
- Protect appellants from retaliation.
What it forbids
- Do not resolve appeals using AI alone.
- Do not require knowing a specific Map.ca person to file an appeal.
- Do not retaliate against an appellant.
- Do not close appeals silently.
How it applies
- Users affected by Map.ca decisions
- Pin owners
- Moderators
- Appeals reviewers
- Leadership handling escalations
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 4 — AI assists, people remain responsible
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 12
Related policies
Content Moderation Policy
How content is reviewed, when it is hidden, when it is removed, and how decisions are appealed.
Community Standards
What behaviour is welcome across Pins, Civic Pins, events, Discovery Rooms, and Map Mail — and what gets removed.
Civic Safety and Abuse Policy
Prevents Civic Pins from becoming tools for harassment, doxxing, false accusations, neighbour disputes, or public shaming.
Public Accountability Policy
Allows communities to see civic activity without exposing private complainants or creating unfair pressure campaigns.