The Wikimedia Foundation has called on India’s Supreme Court to reverse a ruling that mandates the removal of a Wikipedia entry concerning its legal conflict with the Indian news agency ANI, contending that such an order poses a threat to free expression. In its legal appeal, Wikimedia expressed concerns that adhering to the court’s decision would create a “chilling effect on free speech” and limit public access to information. Last year, ANI initiated a defamation lawsuit against Wikimedia in the Delhi High Court, disputing the characterization of the agency on its Wikipedia page as a “propaganda tool” for the government, and alleging that edits reflecting its “true and correct” stance were consistently deleted.
Although the case is still in progress, the high court issued a directive in October for the removal of another Wikipedia page associated with the lawsuit, labeling it as “interference in court proceedings.” Wikimedia is now contesting this ruling, defending its entitlement to “host a page on court proceedings.” During the initial hearing of the appeal on March 17, India’s Supreme Court recognized that the matter raises significant issues regarding “freedom of media” and instructed ANI to provide a written response, as reported by Reuters. Wikimedia joins a growing list of technology companies challenging content removal orders in India, with social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, also disputing government requests to delete posts related to the 2021 farmer protests.
