Corrections Policy

Stop Flock Cams Now · Last updated: 2026-08-23 · Licensed CC BY 4.0

Our value is accuracy. When we're wrong, we say so fast, in place, and on the record. This policy covers both the data layer (camera records, jurisdiction statistics) and editorial content (articles, profiles, explainers). Standards for what we publish in the first place: source-standards.md, editorial-standards.md, methodology.md.

1. The 48-hour commitment

Once a factual error is confirmed, we correct it within 48 hours — usually much faster. Confirmation means a moderator or editor has reviewed the claim and the evidence; a dispute we cannot yet resolve gets the DISPUTED flag immediately (visible on the record within one business day of a credible challenge) so readers see the contest while we work.

2. How to request a correction

• Data: every camera dossier and jurisdiction page has a "Dispute / report an error" link, which files directly into the moderation queue (../docs/MODERATION.md).
• Editorial: email [corrections@stopflockcamsnow.com] with the URL, the claim at issue, and your evidence.
• Subjects of coverage (agencies, officials, companies — including Flock Safety) get priority handling: identify yourself and your role; we acknowledge within one business day.
• Anonymous correction requests are accepted; evidence, not identity, is what we evaluate.

3. What counts as a correction vs. an update

• Correction: we published something factually wrong (wrong location, wrong dollar amount, wrong agency, misattributed quote, wrong claim label). Fixed in place plus a visible correction note stating what was wrong and when it was fixed.
• Clarification: accurate but misleading or incomplete phrasing. Fixed in place with a clarification note.
• Update: the world changed (camera removed, contract cancelled, ruling issued). Handled through normal data/status changes (e.g., REMOVED_CONFIRMED) and article updates with a dated update line — not labeled a correction.

We do not silently rewrite. Substantive changes to published claims always leave a visible trace.

4. Mechanics

Data layer:

• The camera history table is append-only; corrections create a new event, never an overwrite of history.
• Corrected records show the change in their public history; downstream statistics, rankings, share cards, and dumps regenerate via the standard cascade.
• If an error made it into a weekly ODbL dump, the next dump carries the fix and the changelog notes it.
• If we upstreamed erroneous data to OpenStreetMap, we correct it there too.

Editorial layer:

• Correction notes appear at the point of the error or at the top of the piece for material errors, with the date.
• A sitewide corrections log page lists all editorial corrections, most recent first.
• If an error was distributed by email or share card, material corrections are pushed through the same channel where feasible.

5. Severity handling

Errors traced to a contributor affect their accuracy-based reputation (contributor-policy.md); errors traced to our pipeline trigger a root-cause note in the moderation audit trail.

6. What we don't do

• We don't remove accurate, lawfully obtained public-interest information because someone dislikes it. Removal requests that aren't accuracy or safety claims are handled under terms-of-service.md, copyright-dmca.md, or the privacy provisions of privacy-policy.md as appropriate.
• We don't trade corrections for legal threats. A demand letter gets the same treatment as any other correction request: show us the error and we fix it; see also cnd-response-kit.md internally.

Contact: [corrections@stopflockcamsnow.com]