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|keywords=consumer rights wiki, about, mission, editorial standards, Fulu Foundation, right to repair, planned obsolescence
|keywords=consumer rights wiki, about, mission, editorial standards, Fulu Foundation, right to repair, planned obsolescence
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'''Consumer Rights Wiki''' is a community-edited encyclopedia that documents anti-ownership, anti-consumer corporate practices, [[Right to repair|right-to-repair]] barriers, [[Planned obsolescence|planned obsolescence]], & digital rights violations. The wiki is a project of [https://fulu.org FULU Foundation], a nonprofit organization.  
'''Consumer Rights Wiki''' is a community-edited encyclopedia that documents anti-consumer corporate practices, [[Right to repair|right-to-repair]] barriers, [[Planned obsolescence|planned obsolescence]], & digital rights violations. The wiki is a project of the [https://fulu.org Fulu Foundation], a nonprofit organization. It contains {{NUMBEROFARTICLES}} articles maintained by {{NUMBEROFACTIVEUSERS}} active contributors.


==Mission==
== Mission ==


Consumer Rights Wiki exists to document the ways companies restrict ownership, repairability, & consumer choice. The full [[Mission statement]] describes the difference traditional consumer protection (defective products, false advertising) & the newer forms of exploitation the wiki focuses on like:
Consumer Rights Wiki exists to document the ways companies restrict ownership, repairability, & consumer choice. The full [[Mission statement]] describes the distinction between traditional consumer protection (defective products, false advertising) & the newer forms of exploitation the wiki focuses on: cloud-dependent product shutdowns, forced arbitration clauses, software-locked repairs, subscription paywalls for hardware features, & planned obsolescence through software updates.
 
# cloud-dependent product shutdowns
# forced arbitration clauses
# software-locked repairs
# subscription paywalls for hardware features
# planned obsolescence through software updates


The wiki serves as a factual reference for journalists, legislators, advocates, & consumers who need documented evidence of specific corporate practices.
The wiki serves as a factual reference for journalists, legislators, advocates, & consumers who need documented evidence of specific corporate practices.


==Topics covered==
== Topics covered ==


The wiki covers consumer rights issues across several topic areas:
The wiki covers consumer rights issues across several topic areas:


;[[Right to repair]]
; [[Right to repair]]
:Manufacturer restrictions on independent repair, parts pairing, serialization locks, & repair monopolies. See [[:Category:Right to Repair|related articles]].
: Manufacturer restrictions on independent repair, parts pairing, serialization locks, & repair monopolies. See [[:Category:Right to Repair|related articles]].


;[[Planned obsolescence]]
; [[Planned obsolescence]]
:Deliberate shortening of product lifespans through software updates, component choices, or end-of-support policies. See [[:Category:Planned obsolescence|related articles]].
: Deliberate shortening of product lifespans through software updates, component choices, or end-of-support policies. See [[:Category:Planned obsolescence|related articles]].


;Subscription paywalls
; Subscription paywalls
:Hardware features locked behind recurring fees after purchase. See [[:Category:Subscription|subscription-related articles]].
: Hardware features locked behind recurring fees after purchase. See [[:Category:Subscription|subscription-related articles]].


;Digital rights management
; Digital rights management
:DRM restrictions that limit how consumers use products they purchased. See [[:Category:Digital rights management|DRM articles]].
: DRM restrictions that limit how consumers use products they purchased. See [[:Category:Digital rights management|DRM articles]].


;[[:Category:Dark patterns|Dark patterns]]
; [[:Category:Dark patterns|Dark patterns]]
:Deceptive UI designs that manipulate consumer decisions.
: Deceptive UI designs that manipulate consumer decisions.


;[[:Category:Forced arbitration|Forced arbitration]]
; [[:Category:Forced arbitration|Forced arbitration]]
:Contract clauses that strip consumers of their right to sue.
: Contract clauses that strip consumers of their right to sue.


;[[DMCA Section 1201]]
; [[DMCA Section 1201]]
:How anti-circumvention law blocks repair & interoperability. See also [[DMCA]].
: How anti-circumvention law blocks repair & interoperability. See also [[DMCA]].


Each article cites primary legal sources, court filings, government records, investigative journalism, or firsthand documentation.
Each article cites primary legal sources, court filings, government records, investigative journalism, or firsthand documentation.


==Editorial process==
== Editorial process ==


Consumer Rights Wiki is openly editable, but all content must meet published quality standards.
Consumer Rights Wiki is openly editable, but all content must meet published quality standards.
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'''Moderation''' is handled by a team of administrators & moderators listed on the [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Staff|staff page]]. The [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_guidelines|moderator guidelines]] set standards for evaluating submissions, resolving disputes, & handling vandalism. The [[Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard|moderators' noticeboard]] is the public forum for content disputes & editorial questions.
'''Moderation''' is handled by a team of administrators & moderators listed on the [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Staff|staff page]]. The [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Moderator_guidelines|moderator guidelines]] set standards for evaluating submissions, resolving disputes, & handling vandalism. The [[Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard|moderators' noticeboard]] is the public forum for content disputes & editorial questions.


'''Citation requirements''' prioritize primary sources in this order: statute text & court filings, government records & FTC orders, investigative journalism from named reporters, & advocacy organization publications (iFixit, EFF, Repair Association). Unsourced claims are tagged for citation or removed.
'''Citation requirements''' prioritize primary sources in this order: statute text & court filings, government records & FTC orders, investigative journalism from named reporters, & advocacy organization publications (iFixit, EFF, Repair Association). Moderators review new submissions against these standards and flag or remove unsourced claims. Unsourced claims are tagged for citation or removed.


==The FULU Foundation==
== The Fulu Foundation ==


Consumer Rights Wiki is a project of the [https://fulu.org FULU Foundation], a nonprofit organization. The foundation provides infrastructure, hosting, & organizational backing for the wiki. This allows the wiki to operate as a long-term public resource independent of any single individual.
Consumer Rights Wiki is a project of the [https://fulu.org Fulu Foundation], a nonprofit organization. The foundation provides infrastructure, hosting, & organizational backing for the wiki. This structure ensures the wiki operates as a long-term public resource independent of any single individual.


==By the numbers so far(and counting!)==
== By the numbers ==


*'''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}''' articles
* '''{{NUMBEROFARTICLES}}''' articles
*'''{{NUMBEROFACTIVEUSERS}}''' active contributors
* '''{{NUMBEROFACTIVEUSERS}}''' active contributors
*'''{{NUMBEROFEDITS}}''' total edits
* '''{{NUMBEROFEDITS}}''' total edits


==How to contribute==
== How to contribute ==


Anyone can contribute to Consumer Rights Wiki.
Anyone can contribute to Consumer Rights Wiki.


*[[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Write_your_first_article!|Write your first article]]. Step-by-step guide for new contributors.
* [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Write_your_first_article!|Write your first article]]. Step-by-step guide for new contributors.
*[[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:How_to_help|How to help]]. Overview of all the ways to contribute.
* [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:How_to_help|How to help]]. Overview of all the ways to contribute.
*[[Article_suggestions]]. Community-maintained list of articles that need to be written.
* [[Article_suggestions]]. Community-maintained list of articles that need to be written.
*[[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Wiki_policy_index|Wiki policy index]]. Full index of editorial policies & style guides.
* [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Wiki_policy_index|Wiki policy index]]. Full index of editorial policies & style guides.


==Contact==
== Contact ==


*'''Discord''': [https://discord.gg/8w5rSNAXRf Join the Discord server] (but zulip is better)
* '''Discord''': [https://discord.gg/8w5rSNAXRf Join the Discord server]
*'''Zulip''': [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki Join the Zulip community] (this is better)
* '''Zulip''': [https://zulip.consumerrights.wiki Join the Zulip community]
*'''Moderators' noticeboard''': [[Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard|Report content disputes or editorial questions]]
* '''Moderators' noticeboard''': [[Consumer Rights Wiki talk:Moderators' noticeboard|Report content disputes or editorial questions]]


A browser extension is available for [https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/consumer-rights-wiki/bppajinomefndbbmopljhbdfefnefdha Chrome] & [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/consumer-rights-wiki/ Firefox] that surfaces relevant wiki articles while browsing manufacturer websites.
A browser extension is available for [https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/consumer-rights-wiki/bppajinomefndbbmopljhbdfefnefdha Chrome] & [https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/consumer-rights-wiki/ Firefox] that surfaces relevant wiki articles while browsing manufacturer websites.


==License==
== License ==


All content on Consumer Rights Wiki is published under the [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International] (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. Anyone may copy, redistribute, & adapt the content for any purpose, including commercial use, provided they give appropriate credit & distribute derivative works under the same license.
All content on Consumer Rights Wiki is published under the [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International] (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. Anyone may copy, redistribute, & adapt the content for any purpose, including commercial use, provided they give appropriate credit & distribute derivative works under the same license.


==See also==
== See also ==


*[[Mission statement]]
* [[Mission statement]]
*[[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Staff|Staff]]
* [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Staff|Staff]]
*[[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Wiki_policy_index|Wiki policy index]]
* [[Consumer_Rights_Wiki:Wiki_policy_index|Wiki policy index]]
*[[Help:FAQ]]
* [[Help:FAQ]]


[[Category:Consumer Rights Wiki]]
[[Category:Consumer Rights Wiki]]

Revision as of 02:57, 30 March 2026

Consumer Rights Wiki is a community-edited encyclopedia that documents anti-consumer corporate practices, right-to-repair barriers, planned obsolescence, & digital rights violations. The wiki is a project of the Fulu Foundation, a nonprofit organization. It contains 1,266 articles maintained by 117 active contributors.

Mission

Consumer Rights Wiki exists to document the ways companies restrict ownership, repairability, & consumer choice. The full Mission statement describes the distinction between traditional consumer protection (defective products, false advertising) & the newer forms of exploitation the wiki focuses on: cloud-dependent product shutdowns, forced arbitration clauses, software-locked repairs, subscription paywalls for hardware features, & planned obsolescence through software updates.

The wiki serves as a factual reference for journalists, legislators, advocates, & consumers who need documented evidence of specific corporate practices.

Topics covered

The wiki covers consumer rights issues across several topic areas:

Right to repair
Manufacturer restrictions on independent repair, parts pairing, serialization locks, & repair monopolies. See related articles.
Planned obsolescence
Deliberate shortening of product lifespans through software updates, component choices, or end-of-support policies. See related articles.
Subscription paywalls
Hardware features locked behind recurring fees after purchase. See subscription-related articles.
Digital rights management
DRM restrictions that limit how consumers use products they purchased. See DRM articles.
Dark patterns
Deceptive UI designs that manipulate consumer decisions.
Forced arbitration
Contract clauses that strip consumers of their right to sue.
DMCA Section 1201
How anti-circumvention law blocks repair & interoperability. See also DMCA.

Each article cites primary legal sources, court filings, government records, investigative journalism, or firsthand documentation.

Editorial process

Consumer Rights Wiki is openly editable, but all content must meet published quality standards.

Content policies define what the wiki covers & how articles are structured. The content policies set inclusion criteria, article types, & sourcing requirements.

Moderation is handled by a team of administrators & moderators listed on the staff page. The moderator guidelines set standards for evaluating submissions, resolving disputes, & handling vandalism. The moderators' noticeboard is the public forum for content disputes & editorial questions.

Citation requirements prioritize primary sources in this order: statute text & court filings, government records & FTC orders, investigative journalism from named reporters, & advocacy organization publications (iFixit, EFF, Repair Association). Moderators review new submissions against these standards and flag or remove unsourced claims. Unsourced claims are tagged for citation or removed.

The Fulu Foundation

Consumer Rights Wiki is a project of the Fulu Foundation, a nonprofit organization. The foundation provides infrastructure, hosting, & organizational backing for the wiki. This structure ensures the wiki operates as a long-term public resource independent of any single individual.

By the numbers

  • 1,266 articles
  • 117 active contributors
  • 54,222 total edits

How to contribute

Anyone can contribute to Consumer Rights Wiki.

Contact

A browser extension is available for Chrome & Firefox that surfaces relevant wiki articles while browsing manufacturer websites.

License

All content on Consumer Rights Wiki is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. Anyone may copy, redistribute, & adapt the content for any purpose, including commercial use, provided they give appropriate credit & distribute derivative works under the same license.

See also