Editorial, Safety & Review Policy

Purpose

This policy explains how Alliance Against Organized Coercion and Targeted Extortion creates, reviews, and maintains its content. It exists so you can trust what you read and understand how we make decisions.

Who Reviews Our Content

Every piece of public content is reviewed by at least one person from each of these categories before publication:

1. Victim-Safety Reviewer

Role: Ensure content does not increase risk to victims, does not provide operational detail that helps criminals, and aligns with victim-services best practices.

Checks:

• Does this page tell people how to report safely?
• Does it avoid language that could be used against victims (e.g., victim-blaming, shame-inducing phrasing)?
• Does it avoid giving criminals insight into law enforcement methods?
• Does it include appropriate warnings and boundaries?

2. Legal/Resource Accuracy Reviewer

Role: Verify that legal information, contact numbers, and resource descriptions are accurate and appropriately framed.

Checks:

• Are police numbers and victim-services numbers current?
• Is legal information consistent with current Canadian law?
• Are we clear about what is legal advice vs. general information?
• Are resource links working and current?

3. Cultural-Language Reviewer

Role: Ensure content is respectful, accurate, and appropriate for South Asian communities, and that translations are faithful and culturally adapted (not just word-for-word).

Checks:

• Is language respectful and non-judgmental?
• Are cultural references accurate?
• Does translated content preserve meaning while reading naturally?
• Is content appropriate for the intended audience (seniors, youth, religious communities)?

4. Public-Safety Reviewer

Role: Ensure content does not inadvertently help criminals, create legal risk for readers, or encourage vigilantism.

Checks:

• Does this content help criminals refine their methods?
• Does it avoid encouraging investigation, tracking, or confrontation?
• Are boundaries clear between community support and law enforcement?
• Is advice safe to follow in all circumstances?

Evidence Standards

We label all factual claims using this system:

Rules:

• We never label a single-source claim as “confirmed”
• We correct errors when identified — see Correction Process below
• We do not publish unverified rumours or speculation

Review Cycle

Current review dates:

• Last full review: June 2026
• Next full review: September 2026

Correction Process

If we discover an error:

1. Assess the impact — Does this error affect victim safety? If yes, correct immediately.
2. Correct the content — Update the page with accurate information
3. Document the correction — Add to our correction log (below)
4. Notify if necessary — If the error appeared in a community advisory or widely shared content, we will issue a correction

Correction Log

What We Do Not Publish

We maintain a clear exclusion list:

Never publish:

• Individual case details that could identify victims
• Suspect names, photos, or identifying information
• Specific addresses or locations of incidents
• Operational details that could help criminals
• Unverified rumours or social media speculation
• Content that encourages vigilantism or retaliation
• Language that blames victims or increases shame
• Legal advice presented as authoritative (we provide general information only)

Translation Standards

• English is the source language — All content is drafted in English first
• Professional translators for Punjabi and Hindi (not machine translation)
• Cultural adaptation — Translators adapt content to read naturally in the target language, not just translate word-for-word
• Back-translation check — A second reviewer checks that the translation preserves the original meaning
• Community review — Native speakers review for accuracy and cultural fit

Feedback and Disputes

If you believe our content is wrong

Email: review@stop-extortion.ca

Please include:

• The page URL
• What you believe is incorrect
• Your source or reasoning
• Whether you are comfortable being contacted for clarification

We will respond within 10 business days. If the correction affects victim safety, we will act immediately.

If you believe our content has harmed you

Email: privacy@stop-extortion.ca

We take all concerns seriously. We will:

1. Review the concern within 48 hours
2. Assess whether the content should be corrected, clarified, or removed
3. Respond to you with our decision and reasoning

Independence

We are a community resource initiative, not a government agency or law enforcement body.

We are independent from:

• Police services (we cooperate but are not directed by them)
• Government agencies (we reference official resources but are not part of them)
• Political parties or campaigns
• Commercial interests

Our funding:

• We do not accept funding from organizations that could compromise our independence or victim-safety focus
• We do not display advertising
• We do not sell products or services

Contact

Review questions: review@stop-extortion.ca

Privacy questions: privacy@stop-extortion.ca

General inquiries: info@stop-extortion.ca

This policy was last updated: June 2026 Next review: September 2026