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Trust and Safety Product/Temporary Accounts/FAQ

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The basics

What is a temporary account?

Any time you publish an edit on Wikipedia or other sites hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation without logging into a registered account, a temporary account will be created for you. This account will automatically be given a username. A cookie will be set in your browser when the account is created. This username will be used to attribute all subsequent edits by you, even if your IP address changes. With a temporary account, your IP address can only be accessed by authorized staff and community members, as outlined in the updated Privacy policy.

See also:

Why does everyone need to have a username?

The license used on the Wikimedia wikis requires each edit to be attributed to a user identifier.

People who create a free registered account can choose their own usernames. People who do not use a registered account are automatically assigned a temporary account. Previously, your edits would be publicly attributed to your IP address, such as User:192.0.2.1.

What does a temporary username look like?

Example of temporary user name: ~2024-1234567

The automatically generated usernames for temporary accounts will begin with a tilde (~) and the year when the first edit was made by that account. The year will be followed by numbers. Users cannot register normal accounts with usernames that match this pattern.

Note that users cannot choose a temporary account name. Their account name is auto-generated.


Will temp accounts persist across different projects?

Yes, they will be persisted across projects the same as for registered accounts. During the deployment phase, some wikis will have temporary accounts enabled and others won't. During this time, temporary accounts will be "global" only on the wikis that have temporary accounts enabled. We will continue to have IP editing on the other projects.

Why are you working on temporary accounts at all?

Wikimedians began discussing the exposure of IP addresses as a privacy issue shortly after MediaWiki was developed. For example, there is a thread dating back to 2004. For many years, there was no strong incentive to change this, so the Wikimedia Foundation wasn't working on it. But in the meantime, in many countries, new laws and new standards were introduced. Finally, in 2018, the Foundation's Legal department determined that the indefinite public storage of IP addresses presents serious risks. This includes legal risks to the projects and risks to the users. Today, this project is one of the priorities of the Foundation's leadership.

See also:

Why a temporary account is the right solution to the problem?

There are some hard requirements that led to the design of the temporary accounts. Some of them are of legal, and some are of technical nature:

What we are facing What we have decided to do
One of the founding principles of our movement is that people should be able to make most simple edits without registering a permanent account. Temporary accounts will be created automatically (people won't need to create an account themselves).
Due to legal requirements, edits on the wikis should be attributed to a user identifier other than IP address. If temporary accounts are enabled on a wiki, an account is created for a user as soon as they commit their first edit. The user is automatically logged in to this account, which is tied to a randomly generated username. This username is displayed in every situation (except for various functionary tools) where IP addresses would have otherwise been displayed.
The identifier that a given not logged-in user's edits are attributed to needs to be stable. Creating a new user for each edit is not an option. Otherwise, there would be a too large rate of new users. As soon as the temporary account is created, the user is logged in. The cookie has a limited lifetime. Within this duration, if the user decides to make more edits, they are all attributed to the same temporary account. A new one is created if the user decides to log out of the temporary account or otherwise use a different browser. The user retains the same temporary account if they change IP address while using the same device/browser.
The MediaWiki software can't be changed too much. We need to limit novelties to let existing features work unmodified. A temporary account does not break anything in the way user accounts are handled. Aside from some special case behaviors that are required (such as some features that need to be disabled for temporary accounts), most code is likely to work without unexpected failures.

See also:

Is the Wikimedia Foundation monitoring the effect of using temporary accounts on our communities?

As of February 2024, not yet, because temporary accounts haven't been introduced on any wiki yet.

The teams involved in this work are monitoring some "guardrail" metrics. These include how many users get blocked, how many pages get deleted, how many edits get reverted, and the number of requests for assistance from CheckUsers.

Guardrail metrics in detail 

Administrator actions (across all wikis)

  • Blocks - Number of blocks which were activated during the given month.
  • Blocked Unique users - Number of unique users who are blocked during the given month.
  • Blocked Unique IPs - Number of unique single IPs which are blocked during the given month.
  • Blocked Unique IP ranges - Number of unique IP ranges which are blocked during the given month.
  • Reverted Edits - Number of edits made during the given month which were reverted at any point before the snapshot.
  • Deleted Pages - Number of pages which were deleted during the given month.
  • Protected Pages - Number of pages which turned on protected mode during the given month.

Administrator requests

  • CheckUser Requests - Number of CheckUser requests per wiki during a given month.

Administrator health

  • Active Admins - Number of active admins during the given month.  An active administrator is defined as a user who has the administrator user right and has made at least one administrative action during a given month. Administration activities include block, protect, delete, and rights. document.
  • Edits/Admin Ratio - The ratio of number of edits to number of active admins during a given month
  • New Admins - A new admin is a user who made one administrative action for the first time ever during a given month.

What if a temporary account holder needs to be blocked?

Temporary accounts' IPs will be stored for a period of 90 days. Their IP addresses can still be blocked, just like at present. Temporary accounts can also be independently blocked, including global blocks and autoblocks.

Will temporary accounts be covered by the autoblock mechanism?

Locally, this works in the same way as it currently works for registered accounts (IP addresses are not available to the public). More information is available in Phabricator as phab:T332231. Temporary account can also be blocked via global autoblocks.

IP addresses appear in the history of many pages. Will those past uses be modified?

No.

Historical IP addresses that were published on wiki before the switch to temporary accounts will not be modified. The Wikimedia Foundation Legal department has approved this decision.

When will these changes reach my wiki?

Bot operators and tool developers are encouraged to test their tools as early as possible.

  • As of September 2024, the first deployment to a public pilot wiki (e.g., a low-traffic Wikipedia) is expected no earlier than October 2024.
  • If the first deployments are successful and we don't have a ton of unexpected work, then in February 2025, we will roll out on larger wikis. We call this major pilot deployment. It may include some top10 wikis, but not English Wikipedia.
  • Next, in May 2025, we will deploy on all remaining wikis in one carefully coordinated step.

We shouldn't provide all the information. We shouldn't publish some details, and we shouldn't disclose why. If we publicly discussed what arguments we can make, or what risks are most likely to result in litigation, we could help someone harm the wikis and the communities.

This answer is based on attorney advice we are choosing to follow.

Can this change be rolled out differently by location?

No.

We protect the privacy of all users to the same standard. This will change across the Wikimedia projects.

If we tell someone their IP address will be published, isn't that enough?

No.

Many people have been confused to see their IP address published. Additionally, even when someone does see the notice, the Foundation has to properly handle their personal data. Publishing the IP addresses of non-logged-in editors falls short of current privacy best practices. Also, it creates risks, including risks to those users.

How will the project affect CC license attribution?

It will not affect it.

The 3.0 license for text on the Wikimedia projects already states that attribution should include "the name of the Original Author (or pseudonym, if applicable)" (see the license at section 4c). Use of the temporary account names will function equally well as a pseudonym. IP addresses already may vary or be assigned to different people over time, so using that as a proxy for un-registered editors is not different from an the temporary account names. Both satisfy the license pseudonym requirement. In addition, our Terms of use section 7 specify that as part of contributing to Wikipedia, editors agree that links to articles (which include article history) are a sufficient method of attribution.

Single wiki community questions

What if a community wants to keep using IP addresses?

After temporary accounts become available, displaying IP addresses for subsequent contributions will no longer be permitted. All communities need to prepare for the change to temporary accounts.

Would disallowing or limiting anonymous editing be a good alternative?

Unlikely.

In the past, the Wikimedia Foundation has supported research into requiring registration for all editors editing Wikipedia articles. The results have been largely harmful. We've seen large drops in the net non-reverted content edits over time in Farsi Wikipedia.

At this time, with the data we have, we cannot say that disabling logged-out editing on any project is a beneficial solution.

Technical details about temporary accounts

Are temporary accounts deployed anywhere? Where can I test it?

Keep in mind that these are testing wikis. Software there may not work as expected.

How long does a temporary account last?

A temporary account will work for as long as the cookie exists. The cookie is currently set to expire three months after the first edit.

The following are the most common scenarios in which a temporary account will be irretrievably lost:

  • The user clears the cookies on the browser.
  • The user deletes the profile on their browser that they used when the temporary account was created.
  • The user used an incognito (private browsing) window, and closed the window.
  • The cookie expired.

If a temporary account is lost, then a new temporary account, with a new username, will be automatically generated the next time the user publishes an edit. If a user would like a permanent account, they can create a free registered account at any time.

Will temp accounts persist across client IP changes?

Yes. Just as with registered accounts, the account persists across IPs.

How do I login to my temporary account? What is the password for my temporary account?

It is impossible to log in to a temporary account. There are no passwords for temporary accounts. The only way to be "logged in" as a temporary user is to have the original, unexpired cookie that was set when you made the first edit in that account. You can only access your temp account from the device or browser where it was created. If you want to be able to set a password and log in on other devices, please create a free registered account.

Does my temporary account work across devices if I have my browser synchronized?

No.

This is a consequence of how browsers work. In contrast to browser history, open tabs, etc., session cookies are not synchronized across devices.

What can I do with my temporary account?

Your temporary account will work at all of the Wikipedias and other SUL-connected wikis hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. You should have very similar capabilities as you did while edits were being attributed to IP addresses. This includes editing most articles on the Wikipedias. With the switch to temporary accounts, you will get one new feature. You will be able to receive notifications about messages from other users.

Some actions, such as uploading photos to Commons, are restricted to users with a free registered account. Registered accounts are permanent, provide better privacy protection for you, and offer many preference settings for customization. Registering a permanent account is quick and easy. You do not need an e-mail address to create a free registered account.

Note: When you create a free registered account, the edit history, notifications, and messages in your old temporary account will not be transferred to your new registered account.

Will the temporary username be unique across different wikis?

Yes.

If you see User:~2024-1234567 at multiple SUL-connected wikis, you can be confident that this is the same account.

What if temporary accounts are only enabled on some wikis?

Wikis that have temporary accounts enabled will display unregistered editors as temporary accounts. On non-temp-accounts wikis they will still show up as IP addresses. When the temporary user switches between these wikis they will show up as a temporary account in one wiki and as an IP address in another.

Context: We are considering the rollout strategy for temporary accounts. The rollout will be a gradual process that will likely take some months before every project has switched over to temporary accounts completely. There will be time when some wikis will have temporary accounts enabled (pilots) and others will not.

This may create a problem with some features that rely on having a persistent user identity across wikis. If your feature(s) are impacted by this change, please come talk to us on the talk page or through Phabricator.

Experienced contributor questions and access to IP addresses

Who will be able to see the IP address of temporary accounts?

Stewards, CheckUsers, global sysops, admins, and patrollers who meet qualifying thresholds, as well as certain staff at the Wikimedia Foundation.

There are privacy risks associated with IP addresses. This is why they will be visible only to people who need to have that information for effective patrolling.

See also:

I have a qualified account. How can I see the IP addresses?

Go to Special:Preferences and opt in.

Will I need to sign any non-disclosure agreement?

No.

There is the access to nonpublic personal data policy (ANPDP). It is a legal policy from the Wikimedia Foundation about how checkusers and people with certain other roles must protect non-public personal data that they obtain in the course of their duties. Volunteer admins and patrollers do not need to sign it. However, you will need to opt-in to access to IP addresses through Special:Preferences at your local wiki.

How will editors apply for this new user right?

By default, this will be automatically assigned to eligible users. The only thing you will need to do is to opt-in when it becomes available at your wiki.

However, each wiki can set its own process with standards higher than the minimum, such as a process that requires individual review. The Wikimedia Foundation is not requiring a process equivalent to becoming an admin in the largest communities. Communities may choose to handle these requests via their existing processes, or to set up new pages. For example, the English Wikipedia may choose to take requests at w:en:Wikipedia:Requests for permissions, and the German-language Wikipedia may choose to handle requests at w:de:Wikipedia:Administratoren/Anfragen, and the Ukrainian Wikipedia may choose to handle requests at w:uk:Вікіпедія:Заявки на права патрульного. Very small communities often take similar requests on their village pump.

My community wants to set higher requirements. How do we do that?

Follow the directions in Access to temporary account IP addresses#Local requirements. Usually, this will mean having a discussion in the local community, documenting the community's decision, and then following the process for Requesting wiki configuration changes.

When will the user right become available? When can we start assigning it?

The user right will likely be added to the MediaWiki software together with the first pilot wiki deployments, although it will not initially be useful at all wikis. Communities that want to use a process requiring individual review can start pre-approving editors at any time.

My wiki has an existing group whose userrights are already higher than the minimum requirements. They would all get this right automatically if we didn't choose to have a separate process. Can we assign this new right to all of them?

So long as all of the users in the group meet or exceed all of the minimum requirements, then it can be assigned to an existing group. Future members of that group will need to meet or exceed all of the minimum requirements.

The minimum requirements for non-admins are too high

This may occasionally be true, such as when a wiki is newly created. In such cases, someone at that wiki needs to request an exception from the Wikimedia Foundation Legal Department. Contact privacy@wikimedia.org with an explanation of the situation in your community.

I meet the minimum requirements for automatic access, but my community requires individual review, and they denied my request!

Whether to grant this user right to someone who meets the minimum requirement is entirely up to the local community. No one is required to give you this user right.

I'm an admin, but I don't want this user right

You won't be able to see any of this information unless you click to accept the agreement.

I believe that someone is misusing this information

Please report privacy-related concerns to the ombuds commission. To ensure accountability, logs are kept of tool usage and of which users have access to the tool.

Other concerns about potential misuse may be brought to a steward by placing a request on m:Steward requests/Permissions#Removal of access. Stewards are authorized to block a user’s access to IP addresses if they determine that misuse occurred. This will prevent access even if the user would be automatically eligible or has been granted access through a community process.

Can't an abuser just clear cookies?

Yes, they can. Temporary accounts are not intended to solve any anti-abuse problems.

We know the problem of abusers making edits through a pool of changing IPs while masking browser agent data. This cannot be solved through temporary accounts. This is not a design goal for this project either. Otherwise, we would need to use trusted tokens, disabling anonymous edits, or fingerprinting, all of which are very involved, complicated measures that have significant community and technical considerations.

Tools will be adapted to ensure that bidirectional mappings between temporary accounts within the last 90 days and IPs can be safely and efficiently navigated by trusted functionaries. However, abuse from a user that clears cookies may become difficult or impossible to detect and mitigate for users without elevated user rights, or if some of the edits involved are more than 90 days old.

How will autoblocks work with temporary accounts?

Autoblocks stop vandals and other high-risk users from continuing to disrupt the projects by immediately creating a new account. Autoblocks for temporary accounts are the same as autoblocks for registered users.

Some communities currently have public pages for documenting the activities of some bad actors, including their IP addresses (e.g., Long-term abuse). Will this documentation still be permitted?

Yes.

The communities should treat the IPs of logged in users and temporary account holders the same on the Long-term abuse list. They may list the IP addresses when necessary, but they should refer to the abusers by their temporary account usernames.

See also:

Can we publicly document the IP addresses used by suspected (but not confirmed) bad actors who are using temporary accounts?

In general, no, but sometimes yes, temporarily.

When possible, patrollers with access to IP addresses should document the temporary account name(s) instead of the IP addresses. The exception is when the IP addresses are necessary for the purpose of protecting the wiki from abusive actions. Necessity should be determined on a case-by-case basis. If a disclosure later becomes unnecessary, then the IP address should be promptly removed.

For example, if a suspected vandal is exonerated during an investigation, then the report showing the user's IP address can be removed through oversight. That way, the IP address is only revealed while it is needed, and then is suppressed later, after it has been shown to not be needed any longer. See the related policy for more information.

If other information about non-logged-in contributors is revealed (such as location, or ISP), then it doesn't matter if the IP address is also published, right?

No. The IP address should not be published.

With temporary accounts, the public information will be not linked to an individual person or device. For example, it will be a city-level location, or a note that an edit was made by someone at a particular university. While this is still information about the user, it's less specific and individual than an IP address. So even though we are making some information available in order to assist with abuse prevention, we are protecting the privacy of that specific contributor better.

See also

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