Policies Public-facing policies
Claim and Verification Policy
How Pin claims are made, verified, disputed, and resolved — with anti-impersonation safeguards built in.
- Version
- 0.1.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 12 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #14
Policy text
A Pin claim is the moment when someone says "this presence is mine." Map.ca treats that moment as load-bearing, because a wrong claim hands real-world control of a real-world place to the wrong person. The Claim and Verification Policy defines the verification levels (self-attested, document-verified, government-verified, community-verified, and municipal-verified), the artifacts each level requires, and the displays each level produces on the Pin.
It applies to anyone claiming a Pin, anyone disputing a claim, and the moderators who review the artifacts. The Anti-Fraud and Misrepresentation Policy sets the floor on what counts as fraud; this policy sets the floor on what counts as a real claim.
Principles this policy enforces
- People own their presence
- AI assists, people remain responsible
- Public data and personal data are not the same thing
What it requires
- Choose the verification level appropriate to the claim type.
- Submit artifacts that match the chosen verification level.
- Respond to dispute requests within the documented response window.
- Route claim disputes through the Appeals Policy when contested.
What it forbids
- Do not claim a Pin for a business, property, or organization you do not represent.
- Do not falsify verification artifacts.
- Do not bypass human review on contested claims.
- Do not use AI alone to confirm or reject a claim affecting a real person.
How it applies
- Pin claimants
- Current Pin owners
- Moderators
- Verifying institutions where applicable
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 1 — People own their presence
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 4 — AI assists, people remain responsible
Related policies
Pin Owner Agreement
The rights and responsibilities of Pin owners — who can create a Pin, what they control, what must stay accurate.
Anti-Fraud and Misrepresentation Policy
What counts as fraud or misrepresentation on Map.ca and how Map.ca detects, responds to, and prevents it.
Appeals Policy
The appeals path for moderation, claim, accuracy, ownership, and policy decisions that affect users.