On this page, you can find the answers to some frequenly asked questions about FairLoc.
FairLoc stands for Fair Localisation. Localisation is a widespread term used in the language industry to refer to the full translation process – i.e. not just taking the content and putting it into a different language, but also adapting it to the specific, local context of its target audience.
The fair part refers to fairness – not just for the linguists who translate texts and produce copy, but for all of us. We believe that a world awash with genuine and creative human content is a better and brighter world to live in. Plus, it’s only fair for companies to tell the world when they are using human-generated content and when they are not. So in short, FairLoc supports a fair world for all of humankind!
You can read more about why FairLoc exists on our origins page. But in short, FairLoc is a response to the increased prevalence of machine translation and generative AI, and the impact these technologies have been having on the translation sector.
We noticed that human work was being marginalised in favour of cheaper costs, and we grew concerned for the future of the industry we all love and cherish so much. That is why we decided to create FairLoc – not to resist technology, but to promote human creativity.
Absolutely not! We recognise that machine translation is a useful technology just like all the other tools translators have adopted over the decades, from CAT tools to translation management platforms. Machine translation can be a great help on certain types of jobs and it allows clients with low budgets to translate texts that would otherwise never be made available in other languages – and we think that’s great!
The problem is when machine translation begins to quash human creativity. Although its capabilities are impressive, MT cannot match the levels of nuance and ingenuity that human translators bring to their work. So FairLoc’s aim is not to rid the world of machine translation, but simply to make sure it’s always a human in the driver’s seat, and not the other way around.
We know that many translators have been struggling as of late. Some have lost work because clients have shifted to machine translation, while others have been reduced to the role of reviewers, often on projects that were never suitable for MT in the first place. This is both frustrating and disheartening.
By shining a light on the value of human creativity in translation, FairLoc’s ambition is to encourage translation buyers to consider the use of machine-translation post-editing more carefully. We hope that this will create more work for human translators and ensure that they are adequately valued for their craft.
We firmly believe that the risks of misuse are low – after all, our Ambassadors have as much to gain from FairLoc as us, and very little incentive to abuse the scheme. Even so, Ambassadors sign an agreement when issuing Stamps promising not to breach the rules.
We also have a whistleblowing feature on our website and when problems cannot be resolved, we reserve the right to publish the names on a blacklist on the FairLoc website.
Not necessarily! Our model is designed so as not to impose extra costs on translation buyers for choosing human translation as this is already a costlier option compared to MTPE and straight machine translation. The translation provider pays a small fee to support the FairLoc scheme, and for the right to issue our trademarked stamps, but there are no extra costs involved for the buyer.
FairLoc takes data protection very seriously and we comply with both the General Data Protection Regulation and all national legislation concerning privacy and data protection. When you enter into an agreement with FairLoc, we will collect some general information about you.
We collect this data for our own administrative processes only and we do not share this information with anybody besides our own data processors and always within the confines of what the law allows.
We also collect data through the whistleblowing function on our website. Users of this feature must comply with all applicable privacy regulations and must not upload information in violation of the law or any legal agreements.
If you would like to read more about how we process personal data, please take a look at our privacy policy here.
The risk of being included on the blacklist is very low. Ambassadors are welcome to offer AI/MT services as normal, just so long as no stamps are issued for these projects. They can also cancel their subscription at any time. There is therefore little incentive to issue a stamp improperly.
It is also worth noting that other blacklisting initiatives already exist, and efforts are being made within the industry to call out unscrupulous actors. FairLoc therefore helps to protect standards in the industry as part of a wider ecosystem that works regardless of whether or not agencies sign up.
To put it another way: Responsible agencies have nothing to lose by signing up, and unscrupulous agencies will be called out anyway, by other means.
If you are a company or an organisation that buys human translations and would like to display the FairLoc Stamp alongside your texts, you will need to order your translation services from a FairLoc Ambassador.
If your current provider is not an Ambassador, click here to send us an email and we can contact them on your behalf. We’ll send them an info pack and let them know you are interested.
Yes. In this case, your localisation department can simply sign up as a FairLoc Ambassador.
No. FairLoc is funded entirely by the subscription fee paid by the FairLoc Ambassador – i.e. the agency or freelancer providing translation services.
We chose this model because we recognise that opting for human translation is already an increased expense, and we want to make this choice as accessible and affordable as possible.
However, companies that do wish to make a financial contribution to FairLoc and the work that we do are free to do so via our donations page.
FairLoc is a non-profit company and all proceeds go towards funding our work. This includes our marketing efforts, website maintenance, administration and maintenance of the stamp functionality, as well as our work to protect against misuse of the stamp.
Essentially, the FairLoc declaration is a commitment to use human translation for all customer-facing translated content. It also stipulates that buyers can use machine-translation post-editing for certain content with low-visibility, such as privacy policies and cookie policies, as well as for all internal communications. In other words, buyers are still free to use MTPE where it makes sense, but they undertake to prioritise human translations where it matters the most.
It is important to keep in mind when signing up that the declaration is a legal document and our way of protecting the FairLoc brand. We will pursue legal action against any company or individual who violates its terms.
When an Ambassador cancels, they can no longer issue new stamps. This means that your existing stamps will remain valid, but you will not be able to display the Stamp on any new human translations you order.
If you’re disappointed by their decision, we would encourage you to talk to your provider about the importance of FairLoc and ask them to reconsider.
If they do not wish to resubscribe, then the only way to continue receiving Stamps will be to switch to another provider who is a FairLoc Ambassador.
When a user clicks on the digital version of your FairLoc stamp, a new tab will open displaying the page on the FairLoc website which confirms the validity of your stamp. This page will show your company name and some general information about the project, such as the language combination and date. No commercially sensitive information or details about your translation provider will be displayed.
As a freelance translator or a translation agency, you can begin issuing Stamps by signing up as a FairLoc Ambassador. Your first three months are free of charge and after that you pay just €2 a month to support FairLoc.
Check the agreement for more information including the fine print on how MT/AI can be used, etc.
You pay nothing for the first three months. After that, you pay €2 a month. Cheap as chips!
There is no limit! FairLoc Ambassadors can issue stamps on a per-document basis each time a client orders an eligible translation. You can view and manage all of your stamps on the user dashboard.
See the agreement for more information.
All FairLoc Ambassadors sign an agreement with us. This document sets out your responsibilities as an Ambassador.
Essentially, you agree to only issue stamps to eligible human translations, and you agree to facilitate our compliance monitoring.
See the agreement text for more information.
Yes. FairLoc does not restrict your ability to offer a wide range of different service types to clients, including both human and AI translation services. However, you must not issue stamps for projects that are not eligible, such as post-editing projects.
We would encourage you to keep up your subscription and to be a FairLoc Ambassador even if you are not actively issuing stamps. This way, you can help support FairLoc so that we can continue to advocate for the importance of human translation.
Not necessarily! FairLoc is for anybody who believes in the value that humans bring to the translation process. So even if you represent a translation agency that only offers MT services, you can still choose to support FairLoc. Especially if you would like to try and encourage more clients to choose the human option – in that case, FairLoc can be a useful tool in brokering change.
No, not at all. You can continue to offer post-editing services as often or as little as you like. However, you may only issue stamps for human translation projects, not post-editing projects.
No, not at all. You can continue to offer any language services you like, including machine translations and post-editing services. However, you cannot issue FairLoc stamps to ineligible projects, such as post-editing projects. You can only issue the stamp to human translation projects.
