Wikipedia is going through mounting regulatory stress in India as native authorities query whether or not the platform ought to proceed to take pleasure in authorized protections as a impartial middleman somewhat than being categorized as a writer.
The Indian Ministry of Info and Broadcasting issued a discover to Wikipedia on Tuesday questioning the encyclopedia’s middleman standing that’s provided to tech platforms in India. The ministry cited considerations about concentrated editorial management and chronic complaints about bias and inaccuracies on the platform.
The discover follows a contentious case within the Delhi Excessive Courtroom, the place judges have described Wikipedia’s open modifying function as “harmful” and threatened to droop its operations in India. The court docket is listening to a defamation case introduced by information company Asian Information Worldwide, which seeks to determine Wikipedia contributors who allegedly characterised the information company as a “propaganda software” for India’s authorities.
Justice Navin Chawla had dismissed Wikipedia’s plea for extra time to reply as a consequence of its lack of bodily presence in India, warning of initiating contempt proceedings in opposition to the platform if it didn’t adjust to orders to reveal person info. “If you happen to don’t wish to adjust to Indian rules, then don’t function in India,” the choose said.
Wikipedia has maintained that its volunteer editors should adhere to its established insurance policies relating to verifiable content material and authorized tips, although this protection has confronted growing scrutiny from Indian authorities involved concerning the platform’s content material moderation practices.
Wikimedia, the non-profit group that operates Wikipedia, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
Nikhil Pahwa, editor of MediaNama and a outstanding voice on know-how coverage, questioned the authorized foundation of the federal government’s transfer, arguing that India’s IT legislation determines platform standing based mostly on perform somewhat than the variety of editors.
“You is usually a platform with one person/editor or a billion,” he wrote on X.