Delhi HC directs Wikipedia to take down 'defamatory content' on ANI

Meanwhile, the Wikimedia Foundation has moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order, challenging its directive to remove the allegedly defamatory content from Wikipedia

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered Wikimedia Foundation, which hosts the website Wikipedia, to remove alleged defamatory content on its page about the news agency Asian News International (ANI), reported Bar and Bench.

 

While hearing an interim application moved by ANI, Justice Subramonium Prasad said that certain prayers have been allowed.

 

ANI’s plea sought a direction to Wikimedia Foundation to remove the allegedly defamatory content against ANI on its Wikipedia page as well as to restrain the platform’s users and administrators from publishing anything defamatory against the news agency, reported Live Law.

 

The development comes after the Court reserved its order in relation to the application in December 2024. The court stated that it would go through the news articles that form the basis of the alleged defamatory edits against ANI on its Wikipedia page, reported Bar and Bench.

 

However, it also wondered if it can go into such detail at an interim stage, the report added.

 

“This is an understanding of the editor of what the source means. If the understanding is so defamatory that it is relying on something which actually does not mean it at all, then the person can be restrained... again the question is even if it can be understood in that way, then would the court go deeper into that aspect to conclude as to whether in no circumstances can it be construed it as that at all,” the court observed.

 

What Wikipedia says about ANI 

On a page titled ‘Asian News International’, Wikipedia says “has been criticised for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events.”

 

The story so far 

In July 2024, the High Court ordered Wikipedia to disclose information about the three people who made the alleged defamatory edits to ANI’s page on its site. 

In September 2024, the Court issued a contempt notice to Wikipedia for failing to do so. Wikipedia then moved the Division Bench in appeal. ANI and Wikipedia reached an agreement and the latter agreed to serve notice on the users thereby protecting their identity, reported Bar and Bench. 

Meanwhile, the Wikimedia Foundation has moved the Supreme Court against the High Court order. The apex court is expected to hold its next hearing on the Wikimedia case on April 4.