India ignites a legal battle against the Wikimedia Foundation worth $237,000 (20 million rupees) over defamatory content.
The company, which operates Wikipedia, allegedly included accusatory statements about Asia News International (ANI), India's largest newswire service.
ANI's content page on Wikipedia had words of "propaganda tool" and was accused of disseminating content from fake news websites, BBC shared. ANI wants the company to take down the page, arguing that these are harmful claims to its reputation.
However, Wikipedia maintains that all content is user-generated and managed by volunteers. This means they cannot control or monitor individual edits. The Delhi High Court was also steadfast in their orders, urging Wikipedia to reveal the identities of those who made the contested edits and threatening site closure over failure to comply.
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Wikipedia Responds to ANI's Defamation Lawsuit
To compromise, Wikipedia instead, agreed to provide limited user information in a confidential channel. No precise details were revealed but the court case raise important concerns on this part, which could possibly affect how Wikipedia operates and the public's access to unbiased information on the platform in India.
Yahoo News also learned that the lawsuit specifically focused on Wikipedia's self-regulation approach where edits must cite reliable sources and volunteers can openly debate content. In particular, ANI claims that it initially attempted to revise the page but was blocked due to the page's extended confirmed protection status, which limits editing rights to certain users.
Now, experts caution that a verdict favoring ANI will lead to widespread demands for editor identification and page control from individuals and entities dissatisfied with their page content. This will discourage Wikipedia volunteers, who rely on anonymity to contribute freely.
Digital rights activists echo the same sentiment, arguing that any forced censorship could severely restrict access to impartial information and encourage other entities to use legal means to manipulate Wikipedia content.
ANI is not the first to file a concerning protest against a Wikipedia page as the company itself already resisted censorship attempts from China and Myanmar. It's also facing a temporary block in Pakistan and Turkey, with India as the only country that challenges takedown orders.
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