On Tuesday, it was revealed that the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, had petitioned the Supreme Court of India to overturn a ruling that had ordered the removal of a page detailing the legal battle between Wikipedia and a domestic news agency.
In their court filing, Wikimedia argued that the order would have a “chilling effect on free speech” if implemented.
Indian News Organization Last year, ANI took Wikimedia to court in the Delhi High Court, claiming that the platform’s description of the news agency was defamatory. Wikimedia is governed by a community of volunteer editors. ANI’s lawsuit alleges that its Wikipedia page portrays the agency as a government “propaganda tool” under attack. According to what it said, the platform eliminated edits that represented the “true and correct” viewpoint.
A separate Wikipedia article pertaining to the case was ordered down by the high court in October for “interference in court proceedings”; the case is still continuing.
According to Wikimedia’s latest legal appeal, the decision violates its right to “host a page on court proceedings.” The organization has asked India’s Supreme Court to invalidate the ruling.
Reuters checked it out earlier today. Reuters checked it out earlier today.
“The selective and permanent takedown… imposes a chilling effect on free speech and restricts access to knowledge,” Wikimedia stated in the appeal petition.
On Monday, the appeal was first heard by the judges. The Supreme Court observed that the matter at hand pertained to a matter “about freedom of media” and requested that ANI submit a formal reply about the legal dispute.
“Since the matter is pending before the Supreme Court,” ANI’s lawyer Sidhant Kumar said, declining to comment on Wikimedia’s challenge. When asked for comment, Wikimedia remained silent.
Reuters, which holds a 26% interest in ANI, did not promptly respond to a request for comment. In the past, it has maintained that it had no hand in ANI’s commercial dealings or operations.
Wikimedia and another large digital company have taken legal action against content takedown orders in India in recent years. In 2021, the federal government ordered the removal of certain posts regarding farmer protests on Twitter. The platform, now called X, is also involved in a legal battle disputing these orders.
April 4 is when the next hearing in the Wikimedia lawsuit is scheduled to take place at the Supreme Court.
