The Delhi High Court has expressed serious concerns regarding Wikipedia’s open-access editing feature during a defamation suit filed against the platform by news agency ANI. The court labeled this functionality as “dangerous,” raising questions about the reliability of information on the site.
During the proceedings, Justice Subramonium Prasad questioned, “Anybody can edit a page on Wikipedia? What kind of page is this if it is open to anybody (for editing)?”
Defense of Wikipedia’s Editing System
In response to the judge’s remarks, senior advocate Jayant Mehta, representing Wikipedia, defended the platform by stating that users must comply with legal standards when creating or updating content. He distinguished Wikipedia from social media platforms, asserting that it operates as an encyclopedia where credible information is valued.
“It is not social media where you have a page and anybody can do anything. The page is open to editing by anybody, and that is how it gains credibility. Every information is required to be cross-referenced to sources,” Mehta explained.
Background of the Defamation Suit
The lawsuit from ANI stems from allegedly defamatory edits that referred to the agency as a “propaganda tool” for the current government. ANI is seeking the removal of these statements from its Wikipedia page. Advocate Sidhant Kumar, representing ANI, argued that despite Wikipedia’s presentation of information as factual, it acts as an “aggregator of defamation.”
Earlier, the high court had ordered Wikimedia to disclose the identities of the three individuals who made edits to the ANI page. However, Wikimedia has appealed against this summons, and the matter is now with a division bench. The court has adjourned the case until October 28.