MSC4228: Search Redirection

proposals/4228-search-redirection.md

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+# MSC4228: Search Redirection
+
+**Content Warning**: This proposal discusses mechanisms to reduce searches for illegal or harmful
+content on a homeserver. This proposal links to research which discusses the impact of Child Sexual
+Abuse Material (CSAM).
+
+Given the sensitive nature of the topic, comments, suggestions, and concerns may be sent directly to
+the author. It is important that all members of our community contribute to a safe and positive review
+atmosphere.
+
+The author can be reached on Matrix at `@travis:t2l.io` or via email at `[email protected]`. If you
+prefer to contact the Trust & Safety (T&S) team instead, please email `[email protected]`. The author
+is a member of the T&S team, and will ensure a different member of the team reviews `[email protected]`
+emails.
+
+----
+
+A common approach for tackling abuse is to prevent the content from being presented to users in any
+way, disincentizing the use of the platform for sharing that particular type of content. The common
+way users attempt to find content on Matrix is through the [room directory](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.12/client-server-api/#listing-rooms)
+on their local server. With the current specification, there is no opportunity for a server to directly
+say "you can't search for that here". There is additionally no way for the server to provide help and
+support to the user when their search is denied.
+
+This proposal adds an error code to the room directory search endpoints to "redirect" user searches
+to help or supportive resources rather than serve rooms matching their query. This error code is
+optional and intended to be used only when a user searches for illegal material. Users are expected
+to be presented with resources which can help them stop, or not start, offences related to the content
+instead of the content itself.
+
+This proposal is heavily based upon the research of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, where a
+[chatbot was run on Pornhub UK](https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/featured-news/stop-it-now-internet-watch-foundation-and-pornhub-launch-first-of-its-kind-chatbot-to-prevent-child-sexual-abuse.htm)
+to intercept searches for explicit imagery of children and instead direct users to [Stop It Now](https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/).
+More recently, the University of Tasmania published a [report](https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/files/reThink_Chatbot_Evaluation_Report.pdf)
+demonstrating that the 18-month approach works and led to a reduction in (potential) harm. An analysis
+of the report can be found [on the Lucy Faithful Foundation's website](https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/featured-news/pioneering-chatbot-reduces-searches-for-illegal-sexual-images-of-children.htm).
+
+To assist in better user experience, servers using this MSC should consider using [MSC4176](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4176)
+as an optional dependency as well.
+
+## Proposal
+
+The room directory search endpoints (listed below) MAY return a `403 M_FORBIDDEN` error at the server's
+discretion. The `error` message SHOULD be human readable and presented to the end user performing the
+search. If [MSC4176](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4176) or similar is
+accepted, the translatable error is to be used as the human readable representation instead.
+
+The endpoints affected are:
+* [`POST /_matrix/client/v3/publicRooms`](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.12/client-server-api/#post_matrixclientv3publicrooms)
+* [`POST /_matrix/federation/v1/publicRooms`](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.12/server-server-api/#post_matrixfederationv1publicrooms)
+
+For the federation endpoint specifically, the local user SHOULD have the remote server's error proxied
+straight through to them, however some implementations may prefer to replace the error before serving
+it to their users. This can help reduce the potential of remote Cross-Server Scripting (XSS) attacks.
+
+### Example
+
+A user makes a request to `/_matrix/client/v3/publicRooms` with a search term of `something illegal`.
+The user's local server decides that it will not serve rooms matching that search term, and instead
+responds with the following 403 error:
+
+```json5
+{
+  "errcode": "M_FORBIDDEN",
+
+  // Servers are encouraged to research phrasing which achieves their intended result. The example here
+  // is based on zero research.
+  "error": "No results are available for potentially illegal material. https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ may be able to help you if you're searching for illegal content.",
+
+  // Optional component from MSC4176
+  "messages": {
+    "en-US": "No results are available for potentially illegal material. https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ may be able to help you if you're searching for illegal content.",
+    "fr": "Aucun résultat n'est disponible pour le contenu potentiellement illégal. https://www.stopitnow.org.uk/helpline/ peut peut-être vous aider si vous recherchez du contenu illégal."
+  }
+}
+```
+
+The user sees a dialog containing the error message and link they can visit.
+
+In another case, a user searches `remote.example.org` through their local server with a search term
+of `something illegal`. Their server doesn't perform any filtering on the request, and passes it along
+to `remote.example.org` over federation. `remote.example.org` intercepts the search and returns an
+error similar to the one used in the prior example. The user's local server sees the error and decides
+to proxy it to the user as-is. The user sees a dialog containing the error message and link they can
+visit.
+
+## Potential issues
+
+Servers, particularly over federation, can use this to restrict or filter content beyond illegal
+material. This is already possible by returning reduced result sets, or by returning errors in a
+non-compliant manner.
+
+## Alternatives
+
+Specific error codes are a potential alternative, however due to the wide variety of illegal material
+and jurisdictions, this proposal has determined that a single, generic, error code with specific message
+more easily covers the use cases.
+
+## Security considerations
+
+Mentioned in the proposal text, it is possible for a remote server (or local server for that matter)
+to return a malicious error message which the client may ultimately parse. Clients should avoid XSS
+concerns by not parsing error messages, or by applying appropriate sandboxes and measures to contain
+the scope of a potential breach. Similarly, servers should consider whether they proxy errors unmodified
+from remote servers, or if they replace those errors. Some servers may establish "trusted remotes"
+where they are okay to proxy errors and replace errors from all other servers.
+
+## Safety considerations
+
+This proposal is specifically intended to increase the relative safety of Matrix by reducing access
+to content which is generally accepted to be illegal. Specifically, the matrix.org homeserver plans
+to utilize this MSC (or similar) to disable access to CSAM, thus discouraging the content from being
+created in the first place.
+
+Additionally, as noted in the University of Tasmania's [report](https://www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk/files/reThink_Chatbot_Evaluation_Report.pdf),
+this feature provides an opportunity to help individuals who may not know how to ask for help related
+to their searches, and prevent offences from occurring.
+
+## Unstable prefix
+
+While this proposal is not considered stable, implementations should refrain from responding with 403
+errors on the endpoints. This may mean an implementation is required to stay as an open Pull Request
+until this MSC can become stable.
+
+## Dependencies
+
+This proposal supports [MSC4176](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/4176) as an
+optional, value-add, dependency rather than blocker.