15. The Intervention Ladder

Turn evidence into graduated, proportionate, and reversible action—not a BAN bit.

Status: briefPart VDecision: what action is justified

Candidate ladder

observe -> gather evidence -> rate limit -> add friction -> challenge
        -> restrict capability -> remove rewards -> suspend
        -> manual review -> permanent removal

Reader outcome

Match action to harm, confidence, urgency, scope, reversibility, and collateral cost.

Decision questions

Can a narrow capability restriction control harm better than identity-wide punishment?
Which actions preserve evidence and appealability?
When does friction burden legitimate users more than adversaries?
What automatically expires, escalates, or rolls back?

Evidence needed

Intervention experiments and unintended consequences
Friction and challenge completion by user population
Reoffense, displacement, and appeal outcomes
Procedural safeguards for high-severity actions