Wikipedia:Libelous actions-- remove and revert yourself
 | This is an essay. It contains the advice or opinions of one or more Wikipedia contributors. This page is not an encyclopedia article, nor is it one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, as it has not been thoroughly vetted by the community. Some essays represent widespread norms; others only represent minority viewpoints. |
 | This page in a nutshell: Delete libelous material when it has been identified. |
It can be easy to inadvertently do things on Wikipedia seen as libelous in the real world. An admin can protect an article to stop edit warring or the removal of cited material and later receive a letter from the subject's attorney accusing them of libel. An editor can conflate an article into something libellous by confusing two people with similarly spelled names and say that subject "A" had done something that was actually done by subject "B". It would be best under such circumstances to remove such content and revert one's edits when they are brought to one's attention. One should go on to apologize and to assure the subject (or their attorney) that you intended no harm and assure them that any perceived libel was inadvertent. Enlist the assistance of admins and the WMF in removing any content that may be viewed as libellous.