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Consumer Protection Format (Unofficial)

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The intent of this page is to outline a format I plan to standardize across the pages I maintain. This is not a official format for this site.

Additionally:

  1. I do not expect anyone else to follow or maintain this format.
  2. I do not claim ownership of this format.
  3. If you like this format, or the idea of one, please collaborate with me to make it better.


The following format should be used for Products and Companies:

Title of Page[edit | edit source]

Name
Basic Information
Release Year 2000
Product Type Example
In Production Yes
Official Website https://www.example.com


  • Brief description (2-3 sentences)
  • Industry sector and main product/service lines
  • Parent company/subsidiaries (if applicable)

Consumer Protection Profile[1][edit | edit source]

Privacy[2][edit | edit source]

Status: [No, Minor, Moderate, Significant] Concerns

  • This is intended to be a summary of everything relevant to a consumer's privacy
  • It will mostly contain things about the Privacy Policy
  • It may also include relevant Terms of Service or other agreements that impact privacy
  • It may also briefly reference a previous privacy incident

Transparency[2][edit | edit source]

Status: [No, Minor, Moderate, Significant] Concerns

  • This is intended to be a summary of the company's track record of transparency
  • It will mainly reference instances where the company isn't directly clear or honest

Freedom[2][edit | edit source]

Status: [No, Minor, Moderate, Significant] Concerns

  • This is intended to be a summary of everything relevant to a consumer's freedom using the product
  • It will mostly contain things from the terms of service and any usage agreements/contracts
  • It may also include relevant snippets from the Privacy Policy that impact freedom
  • It may also briefly reference a previous incident where the company chose to restrict user freedom

Consumer Protection Incidents[1][edit | edit source]

Example Incident (Jan. 2025)[2][edit | edit source]

In January 2025, ExampleCorp implemented significant changes to their privacy policy without direct notification to users. The changes included expanded data sharing with third parties and modified retention policies. Continued...

Example Incident #2 (Sep. 2023)[2][edit | edit source]

Note that incidents are sorted in reverse chronological order.

References[edit | edit source]

Please see MediaWiki's documentation on how to use references. All references should be in CMOS format. Additionally, ensure that you inline the link to the source with the publication title and include the date accessed.

Example:

Smith, John (July 9, 2024). "Citing sources is easy!". Website Name. Retrieved January 17, 2025.

The following format should be used for Individuals:

Incomplete. Contribute!

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 See PayPal Honey for a currently maintained example
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Bolding should be applied sparingly under headings level 4 or above.