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US House of Representatives investigates foreign manipulation of Wikipedia

Alleged attempts at anti-Israel and pro-Kremlin propaganda by individuals linked to academic institutions under scrutiny

WASHINGTON – The House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation into alleged attempts to manipulate Wikipedia content by “foreign individuals in academic institutions funded by US public funds”, with the aim of influencing public opinion in the United States.

At the heart of the allegations are activities of “propaganda aimed at Western users”, designed to spread anti-Semitic and anti-Israel content and messages favourable to the Kremlin.

The request to Wikimedia leadership

Committee Chairman James Comer and Republican Nancy Mace, head of the Cybersecurity, Information Technology and Public Sector Innovation Subcommittee, sent a letter to Wikimedia Foundation CEO Maryana Iskander requesting documents and communications related to specific accounts or volunteers on the platform who allegedly violated editorial rules.

‘Many studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on Wikipedia for propaganda purposes,’ the two MPs write, citing a report by the Anti-Defamation League that points to attempts to insert anti-Semitic and anti-Israel information into entries on the Middle East conflict. Among the sources cited is the Atlantic Council, which has denounced coordinated operations to spread pro-Kremlin and anti-Western messages, capable of influencing not only users but also the training of artificial intelligence-based chatbots.

Objective: to verify tools and responsibilities

The committee points out that the Wikimedia Foundation itself has acknowledged that it has taken action against volunteer editors responsible for misconduct. ‘Our investigation,’ explain Comer and Mace, ‘aims to examine how Wikipedia responds to such threats and how often it requires accountability when serious or suspicious behaviour emerges on sensitive issues of public interest.’

In the letter, the MPs request information on the tools and methods used by the platform to identify and stop manipulation, with particular attention to cases that risk compromising the neutrality of content.

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