Complaints Procedure
Version 1.0 · Effective from 20 May 2026 · This English version is the authoritative reference for UK legal purposes.
1. When to submit a complaint
You may submit a formal complaint against RODNUK content in the following situations:
- Factual inaccuracy not corrected after informal flag
- Defamation — false statements harming your reputation
- Privacy intrusion — publication of private information without justification
- Harassment — the article pursues, demeans, or intimidates you personally
- Treatment of children — your minor child has been identified without consent
- Personal data (GDPR) — your personal data is processed unlawfully or you wish it to be erased
- Discrimination — content that discriminates based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability
- Copyright — your original material has been used without permission
- Conflict of interest — the article conceals a commercial interest that influences content
- Unmarked sponsored content — promotional article presented as journalism
2. Complaints process — 3 stages
1Initial complaint to the editor
How: Email to [email protected]
Email content:
- Subject: "Complaint: [article title]"
- Article link (URL)
- Specific reason (quote the problematic text + explain)
- Remedy requested (correction, retraction, public apology, right to reply, data erasure)
- Your evidence (links, documents, recordings)
- Full name + contact + your relationship to the article's subject
⏱ Initial response: 3 working days · Conclusion: maximum 7 working days
2Internal appeal
If you are dissatisfied with the editor's decision at stage 1, you may request a review:
- Email to [email protected] within 14 days of receiving the initial response
- New arguments or additional evidence
- Review by a different person than the one who made the original decision
⏱ Final response: 14 working days
3External escalation
If the internal process does not resolve the matter, you have the following options for independent escalation:
- Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) — for complaints concerning personal data, GDPR breaches, or right to erasure. ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint
- Solicitor specialising in defamation — for serious defamation, the legal procedure in England and Wales
- Small Claims Court — for damages under £10,000 (simple process, low costs)
- Action Fraud (actionfraud.police.uk) — for reporting fraudulent content
- Citizens Advice Bureau — free consultation on your rights
Note: RODNUK is not currently a member of IPSO or IMPRESS (voluntary press regulators). External complaints are addressed directly to the ICO or UK courts.
3. What we do not accept as a complaint
To be processed efficiently, we do not accept as formal complaints:
- Disagreement with editorial opinions clearly labelled as opinion (you may respond via a letter to the editor)
- Anonymous complaints without identification
- Repeated complaints on the same matter already resolved
- Complaints concerning articles older than 12 months (except GDPR or identity-erasure cases)
- Vague requests without concrete reference to text
- Abusive or threatening communications
4. How we evaluate a complaint
The editor examines:
- The article — fact-checking original sources and editorial decisions
- Your evidence — verifying the accuracy of provided information
- Applicable standards — Editorial Policy + UK laws (defamation, GDPR, copyright)
- Decision — accept (correction/retraction/right to reply), reject (with reasoning), or request clarification
5. Possible outcomes
| Situation | Possible action |
|---|
| Confirmed factual error | Correction published within 48h (per Corrections Policy) |
| Confirmed defamation | Retraction + public apology + possible compensation |
| Justified right to reply | Publication of your response in or alongside the original article |
| Unlawful personal data (GDPR) | Data erasure per Art. 17 UK GDPR within 30 days |
| Complaint rejected | Reasoned response with the legal/editorial basis for the decision |
| Partially accepted complaint | Limited action (e.g., minor correction, but not full retraction) |
6. Confidentiality
Your personal data in the complaint is processed only for handling the case. We do not publish the identity of complainants without their explicit consent, except where required by law (court order).
7. Public statistics
Annually, we publish a short report including:
- Total number of complaints received
- Main categories (defamation, factual error, GDPR, etc.)
- Percentage accepted / rejected / partially accepted
- Average response time
The first report will be published on 20 May 2027 for the period 20 May 2026 – 19 May 2027.
8. Review
This procedure is reviewed annually. Current version: 1.0 · Effective from 20 May 2026.