Dispute & Correction Protocol
Credibility scores should be defensible. Here's our formal process for challenging scores and correcting factual errors.
Trust requires recourse. We believe every score should be explainable, auditable, and--when factually incorrect--correctable.
This process exists to ensure fairness, not to debate methodology. You may disagree with how we calculate credibility, but we will correct what data we use.
You can dispute any aspect of the Athena Index — not just predictions:
- ✓Prediction evaluation errors (wrong outcome, date, asset, or direction)
- ✓Content analysis errors (wrong transcript, sentiment, or bias assessment)
- ✓Pillar score errors (any of the 6 pillars: Outcome Alignment, Calibration, Consistency, Specificity, Transparency, Accountability)
- ✓Transparency/disclosure errors (wrong sponsorship, affiliation, or conflict-of-interest detection)
- ✓Attribution errors (claim or content wrongly assigned to you)
- ✓Missing data (relevant content, corrections, or disclosures not captured)
- ✓Data quality & technical errors (duplicates, calculation bugs, system glitches)
We will not change scores based on:
- ✗Methodology disagreement ("weights should be different")
- ✗Interpretation disputes ("I meant something else")
- ✗Outcome disagreement ("it's too early to judge")
- ✗Reputation concerns ("this score hurts my brand")
Review Your Profile
Check the "Why This Score?" section on your profile. Review:
- Which specific claims were evaluated
- What outcomes were recorded
- How each pillar was scored
- Which drivers impacted your score
Submit a Dispute
Use the dispute form below to submit your challenge. Include:
- The influencer whose score or data you're challenging
- What aspect of the Athena Index is incorrect (prediction, content analysis, pillar score, etc.)
- Evidence (links to original content, screenshots, market data)
- What you believe the correct data should be
⚠️ Important: Be specific. "My score is too low" is not actionable. "My Transparency pillar is wrong because I disclose all sponsorships in my video descriptions" is.
We Review & Respond
5-7 business daysOur team will:
- Investigate the specific data or scoring in question
- Review original sources, content analysis, and scoring factors
- Check our evaluation methodology against evidence
- Provide a written explanation of our findings
Possible outcomes:
Score Updated (If Applicable)
If we confirm an error:
- Your profile is updated within 24 hours
- A Corrected tag shows on the affected claim
- Score recalculated with correct data
- Correction logged in our audit trail
All corrections are visible. When we fix an error, we don't hide it. We show:
- What was incorrect
- What it was changed to
- When the correction was made
- Impact on overall score
This ensures accountability runs both ways. We hold influencers accountable--and they can hold us accountable too.
Credibility is a living record, not a permanent judgment. Older behavior matters less than recent behavior:
Full weight -- represents current behavior
80% weight -- recent history
50% weight -- long-term track record
What this means: Past mistakes don't define you forever. Consistent improvement over 90-180 days will materially improve your score.
1. Methodology Transparency
- All pillars are public
- All public signals are documented at /methodology/signals
- All methodology changes are versioned
- Score version is displayed on every profile
2. Dispute & Correction Process
- Any entity can submit a dispute
- Evidence is reviewed within 5-7 business days (SLA)
- Outcome is logged permanently (never deleted)
- Score updates are visible with change history
- History is preserved -- no silent changes
3. Independence
- No paid score adjustments
- No endorsements or "verified" badges for payment
- No promotional manipulation
- Advertising clearly separated from scoring
4. Accountability
- Errors acknowledged publicly
- Corrections timestamped
- Methodology evolution logged
- Audit trail maintained for all score changes
5. Non-Discrimination
Athena evaluates behavior, not identity, ideology, or affiliation. The same methodology applies to everyone.
Public Commitment
Athena commits to: Explainability, Auditability, Contestability, and Evolution without erasure.
Dispute any aspect of the Athena Index — predictions, content analysis, pillar scores, transparency assessments, and more.
Prefer email? You can also send disputes to:
disputes@athenaindex.com
For general questions about our methodology, visit the Methodology.