Wikipedia:VRT noticeboard

Welcome to the VRT noticeboard

Wikimedia's volunteer response team (VRT) handles copyright permissions, email inquiries from the public, reuse inquiries, article errors, and a wide range of non-public inquiries. The email service is operated and managed by a cross-project team of volunteers at the Meta-Wiki level and not by the English Wikipedia community. Actions by VRT members on English Wikipedia are ultimately subject to review by the Arbitration Committee.

Please be aware that there is sometimes a backlog in processing tickets sent to the permissions-en queue. This backlog is currently 0 days.

This noticeboard is primarily for

1. Permissions verification and inquiries for text and files (hosted on the English Wikipedia) said to have been granted permission via VRTS.
2. Requests for VRT member review of matters that have been described as VRT comments or actions.
3. Other inquiries to VRT members that do not involve, disclose or reference private material.

Do not post

• Private information or links to private information (including but not limited to emails, phone numbers, physical addresses).
• Fishing requests (asking for all details of a ticket or generally probing ticket information). You should make a specific request and clearly state the reason for your request.
• Additional questions on a point, once a VRT member has indicated they cannot answer due to privacy issues. (Further inquiries and any complaints should be made via email.)
• Requests for VRTS access (use meta:VRT/Volunteering instead).
• Questions regarding media hosted on Wikimedia Commons (use Commons:Volunteer Response Team/Noticeboard instead).
• Media questions unrelated to VRT (use Wikipedia:Media copyright questions instead).

Disputes

• For disputes over VRT actions on English Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Volunteer Response Team § Dispute resolution and Wikipedia:Dispute resolution § Sensitive issues and functionary actions.

Useful VRT email addresses

Removal of private or defamatory information	Requests for oversight or oversight-en-wpwikipedia.org
Submission of photos to be used in a Wikipedia article	photosubmissionwikimedia.org Follow the instructions here
Confirmation of copyright permission	permissions-enwikimedia.org Follow the format given here
Reports of threatened harm to self or others	emergencywikimedia.org Guidance: Wikipedia:Responding to threats of harm
Reports of child pornography	legal-reportswikimedia.org See Wikimedia Legal Policies
Issues with an article about you or your organization	info-en-qwikimedia.org Guidance: Wikipedia:Biographies of living persons/Help
Any other inquiries involving private information	info-enwikimedia.org

AfD for Matthew Barnett Robinson

@Glane23 says at the AfD discussion that the subject requested deletion per ticket:2025090410011337 May I know what steps were taken to confirm this was the article subject's own request, and whether any additional grounds or facts were provided in connection with that request? Thank you. Oblivy (talk) 03:33, 5 September 2025 (UTC)

@Oblivy I've looked at the ticket and can confirm that this is the subject's own request. Nthep (talk) 17:16, 10 September 2025 (UTC)

Thank you for confirming this. I had a question about other evidence - are you not going to answer that? Oblivy (talk) 22:07, 11 September 2025 (UTC)

No, as I didn't read the ticket in detail, only enough to verify the identity. However, on a general point, all VRT members are bound by the Wikimedia Foundation Access to Nonpublic Personal Data Policy so we can only disclose information as agreed with the subject. What was disclosed at the AFD will be the limit of what was agreed. Nthep (talk) 10:50, 12 September 2025 (UTC)

I appreciate your response. I read the policy before asking my question and there seems to be no bar to asking, or to you answering whether there is additional information.

The AfD already closed, so this is moot -- it would have been helpful if the VRT member who was relying on the VRT ticket had stated what information could be disclosed when bringing the AfD. Oblivy (talk) 00:28, 13 September 2025 (UTC)