Ministry Questions Wikipedia's Intermediary Status Amid Legal Disputes

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has reportedly raised concerns with Wikipedia, questioning why it should not be regarded as a publisher rather than as an intermediary. This move follows multiple complaints pointing to perceived bias and inaccuracies within the content on the platform. The Ministry’s notice suggests that editorial control over Wikipedia’s pages may be concentrated within a small group of individuals.

Historically, Wikipedia has maintained that, as an intermediary, it does not have editorial oversight of the content on its platform. However, this defense is now being challenged in light of a defamation case filed by news agency ANI. The agency has accused Wikipedia’s parent organization, the Wikimedia Foundation, of labeling it as a propaganda arm of the current government.

As part of the ongoing legal proceedings, the Delhi High Court warned the Wikimedia Foundation that the government could block Wikipedia in India if the organization does not disclose the identities of those responsible for the defamatory content. The Court also indicated that Wikipedia’s disclaimer about its reliance on secondary sources cannot absolve the platform from responsibility for what is posted by users.

The Delhi High Court had earlier expressed concerns over Wikipedia's open-editing model, describing it as “dangerous” due to the risk of harmful or inaccurate information being spread, especially about public figures and organizations. Despite repeated requests from the Court, Wikipedia has refused to disclose the identities of users responsible for the controversial edits on ANI’s page.

In its defense, Wikipedia’s legal team emphasized that users are required to follow content policies that demand verifiable information. Still, the issue of transparency surrounding the identity of users involved in potentially misleading edits remains unresolved and contentious.