An appeals path that depends on knowing the right person is not an appeals path. The Appeals Policy defines a documented, human-reviewed appeals route for every category of Map.ca decision that affects a user: moderation actions, claim outcomes, accuracy disputes, ownership conflicts, and policy-driven removals. It defines the response timelines, the human-reviewer requirement (Constitution §2 principle 4), the escalation tier, and the anti-retaliation protections that prevent appealing from becoming a risk.
It applies to users affected by Map.ca decisions, Pin owners, moderators, appeals reviewers, and the leadership tier that handles escalations.
Requirements
- Provide a documented appeals path for every user-affecting decision category.
- Assign human reviewers, not AI, as the final authority on appeals.
- Respond within documented timelines proportionate to severity.
- Protect appellants from retaliation.
Prohibitions
- Do not resolve appeals using AI alone.
- Do not require knowing a specific Map.ca person to file an appeal.
- Do not retaliate against an appellant.
- Do not close appeals silently.