Platform(s), such as mobile, website, API, other: All platforms
URLs (aka web addresses) of any pages, if relevant: n/a
Description of need:
Sometimes an account will pop up that posts a lot of content they do not have the rights to. They often post multiple photos, sometimes a dozen or more, that they obviously stole from the Internet. It’s important to the community and the platform to keep these accounts under control.
Feature request details:
Accounts with 100 or more observations should be temporarily frozen if 50% or more of their total observations have received a flag. Accounts with 99 or less observations should be temporarily frozen if 50 or more of their total observations have received a flag. The freeze would prevent the account from adding any more observations, although they may still browse the site and add IDs. The first time, the freeze should last no more than 72 hours (3 days). The second time, the freeze should last no more than 168 hours (1 week). The third time, the account should be banned. Note that any observations counted in any consequence should not be counted toward a future consequence; this prevents an account from being punished for the same thing multiple times. When a freeze is given, the accountholder should be given clear instructions on how to proceed using iNaturalist in a respectful way and make them agree once again to the Terms & Conditions.
Please note: I constructed the above plan with copyright infringement in mind. This plan may not fit all reasons for flags. If this feature already exists or has already been suggested, please let me know so I can offer my support.