fair-protocol/docs/moderation/governance/defederation.md

Defederation and Removal Policy

Status	Policy Document
Date	2025-01-27

Executive Summary

This document defines FAIR's comprehensive policy for removing participants, content, and services from the federation. Defederation is a serious action that affects ecosystem trust and must be conducted with transparency, due process, and clear justification.

Principles

• Transparency: All removal decisions must be publicly documented with clear rationale
• Due Process: Participants must have opportunity to respond and appeal before removal
• Proportionality: Actions must be proportional to the severity of violations
• Accountability: All decisions must be traceable to specific policy violations
• Recovery Path: Clear requirements for reinstatement must be provided

Removal Categories

1. Content-Level Removal (Packages, Themes, Plugins)

Immediate Removal Criteria:

• Confirmed malware or malicious code
• Critical security vulnerabilities with active exploitation
• Copyright violations with valid takedown requests
• Illegal content as defined by applicable law

Graduated Removal Process:

• Warning Level: Minor policy violations, security concerns
• Suspension Level: Repeated violations, moderate security issues
• Removal Level: Persistent violations, serious security issues

Required Documentation:

• Specific violation description
• Evidence supporting the decision
• Date and time of removal
• Contact information for appeals
• Reinstatement requirements

2. Repository-Level Removal

Immediate Defederation Criteria:

• Persistent failure to respond to security incidents
• Repeated hosting of malicious content
• Failure to maintain required contact information
• Non-compliance with GDPR/CRA requirements
• Refusal to integrate with Ozone moderation system

Graduated Defederation Process:

• Warning (7 days): First policy violation, technical issues
• Suspension (30 days): Repeated violations, failure to remediate
• Defederation (permanent): Persistent non-compliance, security risks

Required Documentation:

• Detailed violation report
• Timeline of incidents and responses
• Communication attempts with operators
• Remediation requirements
• Appeal process information

3. Aggregator-Level Removal

Immediate Defederation Criteria:

• Failure to maintain moderation standards
• Persistent listing of defederated repositories
• Non-compliance with federation API requirements
• Refusal to implement required security measures

Graduated Process:

• Warning (14 days): Policy violations, technical issues
• Suspension (60 days): Repeated violations, failure to remediate
• Defederation (permanent): Persistent non-compliance

Defederation Procedures

Pre-Defederation Process

1. Violation Identification

   • Automated detection through monitoring systems
   • Community reports via threshold escalation
   • Security incident reports
   • Policy compliance audits

2. Investigation Phase

   • Evidence collection and verification
   • Operator notification and response period
   • Technical assessment by Security Working Group
   • Policy review by Vetting Working Group

3. Warning and Remediation Period

   • Formal warning with specific violations
   • Clear remediation requirements
   • Timeline for compliance (typically 7-30 days)
   • Support and guidance offered

4. Final Assessment

   • Evaluation of remediation efforts
   • Risk assessment for continued federation
   • Recommendation for action

Defederation Decision Process

1. Working Group Review

   • Security Working Group: Technical and security assessment
   • Vetting Working Group: Policy compliance evaluation
   • Compliance Working Group: Regulatory requirement verification

2. Decision Making

   • Consensus required among relevant working groups
   • Documentation of decision rationale
   • Timeline for implementation
   • Communication plan

3. Implementation

   • Immediate removal from discovery services
   • Notification to all federation participants
   • Public documentation of decision
   • Appeal process initiation

Post-Defederation Actions

Immediate Actions

• Remove from all FAIR discovery services
• Notify connected aggregators and repositories
• Update public defederation registry
• Preserve evidence and documentation

Ongoing Monitoring

• Track attempts to re-enter federation
• Monitor for related security incidents
• Document any new violations
• Maintain appeal process availability

Reinstatement Process

Eligibility Requirements:

• Demonstrated remediation of violations
• Implementation of required security measures
• Compliance with all federation policies
• Successful security audit
• Payment of any required fees or penalties

Reinstatement Process:

• Formal application with evidence of compliance
• Technical review by Security Working Group
• Policy review by Vetting Working Group
• Trial period with enhanced monitoring
• Full reinstatement upon successful completion

Appeals and Dispute Resolution

Appeal Rights

• All defederation decisions are appealable
• 60-day window for appeal submission
• Independent Appeals Working Group review
• Right to present additional evidence
• Right to representation

Appeal Process

1. Submission: Formal appeal with supporting documentation
2. Review: Independent working group assessment
3. Hearing: Opportunity for oral presentation
4. Decision: Written decision with clear reasoning
5. Implementation: Immediate effect of appeal decision

Transparency and Reporting

Public Documentation

• All defederation decisions publicly documented
• Quarterly defederation reports published
• Annual policy effectiveness review
• Community feedback integration

Internal Reporting

• Monthly working group reports
• Incident trend analysis
• Policy effectiveness metrics
• Resource allocation recommendations

Emergency Procedures

Critical Security Incidents

Immediate Action Required:

• Zero-day vulnerabilities with active exploitation
• Confirmed supply chain attacks
• Large-scale security breaches
• Regulatory compliance failures

Emergency Process:

• Immediate suspension by Security Working Group
• Notification to all federation participants
• Public security advisory within 24 hours
• Formal review within 72 hours

Natural Disasters and Infrastructure Failures

• Temporary suspension during recovery
• Support and assistance offered
• Gradual reinstatement upon recovery
• Enhanced monitoring during transition

Compliance and Legal Considerations

Regulatory Compliance

• All actions must comply with applicable law
• GDPR requirements for data handling
• CRA requirements for security measures
• Local jurisdiction considerations

Legal Protections

• Good faith immunity for policy enforcement
• Documentation requirements for legal defense
• Insurance coverage for legal actions
• Professional legal review for complex cases

Implementation Timeline

Phase 1 (Immediate)

• Policy communication and training
• Working group formation
• Monitoring system implementation

Phase 2 (30 days)

• Automated violation detection
• Warning system implementation
• Appeal process establishment

Phase 3 (90 days)

• Full defederation capability
• Performance metrics implementation
• Policy refinement based on experience

Contact and Support

TBD

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This policy is subject to regular review and updates based on community feedback and evolving requirements. All changes require public comment periods and working group approval.