Wikipedia clarifies rules for accessing and disclosing temporary account IP addresses

Wikipedia updated its Privacy Policy section on the use of temporary account IP addresses, specifically on refining how access, disclosure, and misuse of this information are governed. The changes do not expand who can access IP addresses, but they clarify permissible uses, add procedural detail, and tighten safeguards around disclosure.

The update reiterates that temporary account IP addresses may only be used for investigation, discovery, and enforcement related to vandalism, abuse, harassment, spam, and other policy violations. It explicitly allows the use of IP auto-reveal functionality during investigations, provided the automatically revealed IP addresses are used solely for these enforcement purposes. The revised text also removes language suggesting that access must be strictly “as-needed,” replacing it with a clearer emphasis on purpose limitation and compliance with applicable local policies.

Wikipedia also refined restrictions on disclosure. While users with access rights may still make limited disclosures when blocking fake accounts, also referred to as “sockpuppets” within the wikipedia community, or performing administrative actions, the policy now explicitly prohibits directly connecting temporary accounts to their associated IP addresses in block reasons or similar public contexts. Disclosures are framed as permissible only when reasonably necessary for enforcement or investigation, and IP addresses must be removed if later determined to be unnecessary or disclosed in error.

The update also clarifies consequences for misuse. An unnecessary or mistaken disclosure alone is no longer framed as grounds for immediate removal of access. Instead, the policy specifies that repeated patterns, intentional misuse, or local community consensus are required to justify revoking access to temporary account IP addresses. Parallel language is added for users with manually granted access, aligning standards across access pathways.