New Delhi: SpaceX founder Elon Musk has ignited a fresh controversy over Wikipedia, urging users to halt donations to the popular online encyclopedia. Musk claimed in a recent post on X that the platform is influenced by “far-left activists” and suggested users reconsider funding it. He shared a report from Pirate Wires, a U.S.-based news outlet, alleging that a group of Wikipedia editors has slanted the narrative on the Israel-Palestine conflict, purportedly pushing pro-Hamas views and framing fringe opinions as mainstream following the recent October 7 attacks.
A vocal Republican and supporter of former U.S. President Donald Trump, Musk stated, “Wikipedia is controlled by far-left activists. People should stop donating to them,” fueling discussions about Wikipedia’s editorial bias. According to Pirate Wires, around 40 editors have coordinated over recent years to “delegitimize Israel,” allegedly casting certain militant groups in a favorable light.
This isn’t Wikipedia’s first legal challenge regarding editorial transparency. Earlier in September, the Delhi High Court issued a contempt notice to Wikipedia, criticizing the platform for failing to disclose information about edit histories related to India’s prominent news agency, Asian News International (ANI). The court warned Wikipedia of possible restrictions on its operation in India if compliance is not met.
In response to Musk’s criticism, Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales recently commented on the credibility of X (formerly Twitter) at a Lisbon summit, where he supported Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Bard drawing information from Wikipedia rather than from Twitter. Wales remarked that Twitter “isn’t a great source of truth,” indirectly questioning Musk’s platform as a reliable information hub.
The escalating tensions between Musk and Wikipedia reflect a growing debate on neutrality, free speech, and editorial power over online platforms highlighting how influential figures and international judicial systems are increasingly scrutinizing the credibility and governance of widely used information sources.
