Tue Nov 05 06:06:03 UTC 2024: ## India’s Government Targets Wikipedia Over Bias and Inaccuracies
**New Delhi, India:** The Indian government has served notice to Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia, citing concerns over alleged bias and inaccuracies in its content. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has raised questions about the editorial control held by a select group of Wikipedia editors and asked why the platform should not be classified as a ‘publisher’ instead of an ‘intermediary’.
This action follows a legal battle in the Delhi High Court, where news agency Asian News International (ANI) is demanding information about users who made edits to an entry about the firm, which claimed ANI is a propaganda tool of the Indian government.
The court has questioned Wikipedia’s claim of being a free encyclopedia, noting that it cannot refuse to provide information while simultaneously claiming to be an ‘intermediary’. Justice Subramonium Prasad, during a recent hearing, remarked, “If you are an intermediary, why are you bothered? If somebody else has edited and that addition is without basis, then it comes down. They are not here to protect…”
Wikipedia’s lawyers argued that the website warns users that information comes from secondary sources. However, the court dismissed this argument, stating a disclaimer alone does not absolve Wikipedia of responsibility.
ANI, meanwhile, claimed that further edits to the controversial entry are being blocked and clarifications provided by the agency are being ignored. “There is not a single positive word to be said about me. The cabal of editors do not allow it,” stated advocate Sidhant Kumar, representing ANI.
The court acknowledged the right to freedom of speech and expression enshrined in India’s constitution, emphasizing that the burden of proof should lie with the party making the statement.
The matter will be heard again on Wednesday. In a previous hearing, the High Court issued a contempt of court notice to Wikipedia for withholding information about the users who made the edits. The court warned Wikipedia of potential consequences for non-compliance with Indian laws, stating, “If you don’t like India, please don’t work in India… we will ask the government to block your site.”
ANI has filed a Rs 2 crore (approximately $240,000 USD) damages claim against Wikipedia, seeking the removal of the edits and a guarantee against the publication of similar content in the future.
The Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, has maintained that it does not add or edit content and relies on a global community of volunteer editors for content creation.
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