India
Government draws attention to Wikipedia and points to complaints about ‘bias and inaccuracies’ | India News – Times of India
The government is also said to have raised questions about the editorial control exercised by a small group of contributors and the implications for the platform’s role in disseminating information. The notice also questioned whether Wikipedia should be classified as a publisher and not just an intermediary in its communications, sources familiar with the matter said.
Wikipedia presents itself as a free online encyclopedia, allowing volunteers to create and edit pages on a wide range of topics, including personalities, issues, and various topics.
However, the widely used platform is currently embroiled in legal battles in India and is facing accusations of offering inaccurate and defamatory content.
The announcement follows a ruling by the Delhi High Court in September, which criticized Wikipedia’s open editing feature as ‘dangerous’. The court’s comments came during a defamation case brought by a news agency against the platform, with judges expressing surprise that “anyone” could edit a Wikipedia page. The court highlighted the potential risks associated with unrestricted editing, especially regarding sensitive information about individuals or entities.
In response to the court’s concerns, Wikipedia’s legal representatives assured the judges that users must adhere to legal guidelines when creating or updating content. The platform emphasized that the platform has established policies to regulate user contributions and ensure compliance with the law.
Wikipedia was launched in the early 2000s and was designed to facilitate free access to knowledge and information. Over the past twenty years, the platform has experienced significant growth. Today, Wikipedia has more than 56 million articles in more than 300 languages, with approximately 89 percent of its content available in languages other than English.
