Press Releases

Washington DC – Today, U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25) and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a group of 23 Members in sending Wikimedia CEO Maryana Iskander a letter seeking answers on how the online encyclopedia will enforce its own rules, curb editor bias and prevent antisemitism and pro-terrorist content from infiltrating Wikipedia pages.

Despite its free, community-sourced platform, Wikipedia’s influence is immeasurable. Millions of internet readers read its reference material, and search engines and Artificial Intelligence language models draw on its articles. However, recent ADL research found widespread antisemitic and anti-Israel bias on its pages, across multiple languages, especially on content related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as an apparent coordinated promotion of pro-Hamas propaganda.

“Evidence points to a startling lack of enforcement of Wikipedia’s most basic rules and editorial safeguards. Given the immense influence that Wikipedia articles have over our online and real life global conversations, far more editorial responsibility and transparency is needed, immediately,” said Wasserman Schultz. “My hope is that our bipartisan questions and concerns can curb a suspected coordinated campaign to manipulate Wikipedia content that drives antisemitic content and biases.” 

“Antisemitism and anti-Israel views have increased on Wikipedia due to their lack of enforcing their own rules and standards and they need to take steps immediately to fix the problem,” said Bacon. “Wikipedia has such a broad reach and people take what is posted there as 100 percent truth, when it always isn’t. I’m glad to join Rep. Wasserman Schulz on this bipartisan letter, in the hopes we can get Wikimedia to fix this.”

"Earlier this year, research from the ADL Center for Technology and Society raised immense concerns regarding antisemitism, anti-Israel bias, and abuse of Wikipedia by coordinated actors," said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO & National Director. "The majority of Wikipedia users assume the material on the platform is reliable. The reality is millions are being exposed to dangerous misinformation on contentious topics. I deeply appreciate Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Bacon for leading this crucial bipartisan effort, demanding answers from Wikimedia on how they are enforcing their own rules and pushing for greater transparency and accountability."

Read the full letter below of the signed version here.

Dear Ms. Iskander:

We write to express our deep concern regarding antisemitism, anti-Israel bias, and the potential abuse of Wikipedia by coordinated actors. Wikipedia plays an important role not only for the hundreds of millions of regular users who access it directly, but also as a key source for search engines and Large Language Models (LLMs) which incorporate Wikipedia’s content into their answers.

A recent report by the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) identified a group of approximately 30 Wikipedia editors who have significantly undermined the platform's credibility, making more than 1.5 million edits over the past decade to gradually and systematically distort neutral narratives on articles related to Israel, pushing an antisemitic, pro-Hamas, anti-Zionist, and anti-Israel agenda. While Wikipedia mandates that all content be written from a “neutral point of view (NPOV),” these edits go far beyond presenting differing perspectives. Instead, they suggest a deliberate effort to inject antisemitic bias and propaganda, raising concerns that some of these editors may be pro-Hamas or even acting on behalf of foreign state actors.

One particularly egregious example of this manipulation involves distorting history with an aim to hide certain groups' and figures’ support for terrorism and violence. Editors have deliberately removed evidence of public figures’ support of political violence and overt antisemitism, as well as erasing references across multiple articles that document terrorist violence. This is especially evident on Wikipedia’s entry for Hamas, where significant edits have downplayed and de-emphasized the organization’s terror activities.

The ADL report concludes that these edits are not the result of the organic changes that occur on Wikipedia as editors update pages to reflect evolving understandings of complex issues. Instead, they appear to be part of a long-running, coordinated scheme that involved serious infractions to Wikipedia's anti-bias policies, including violations such as canvassing and likely off-platform coordination and communication.

ADL is not alone in recognizing bias on the platform. Last month, Wikipedia’s English-language Arbitration Committee—a volunteer body of 15 senior editors elected by fellow Wikipedians—acknowledged the issue by banning eight editors from changing articles related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Five of the eight editors were also identified in ADL’s list of 30 bad faith editors. While it is a welcome first step, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure Wikipedia remains free of bias, antisemitism, and pro-terrorist content. With that in mind, please answer the following questions by May 30, 2025:

1. Preventing Foreign Interference: Has the Wikimedia Foundation investigated if prolific Wikipedia editors and administrators are covertly acting on behalf of adversaries of the United States, including Iran, Hamas, and other antagonistic foreign entities?
1. What safeguards are in place to prevent coordinated editing campaigns by foreign actors, and how does Wikipedia detect and mitigate disinformation sponsored by state and nonstate actors?
2. In what cases does Wikipedia verify the identities and affiliations of editors, including those making frequent or high-impact edits on politically sensitive topics, to ensure that foreign adversaries are not abusing the platform to spread misinformation or propaganda?
2. Editor Oversight: What steps are being taken to ensure sufficient oversight of editors and administrators to prevent biased or coordinated manipulation of content?
3. Addressing Antisemitic and Anti-Israel Bias: What specific measures does Wikipedia have in place to prevent and address antisemitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-Israel bias among its editors? How does it ensure that factual, well-sourced information is not overridden by ideologically- motivated edits?
4. Ensuring Transparency and Accountability: Understanding that all edits are public but not easily retrievable or understood, can Wikipedia provide us data on content disputes, edit reversions, and administrator actions related to antisemitic, anti-Zionist, or anti-Israel bias?

1.      What steps are being taken to increase transparency and accountability in addressing these issues?

2.      Is Wikipedia or the Wikimedia Foundation considering using additional AI or data-related tools to better enforce its policies?

We greatly appreciate your swift attention to this matter and look forward to reviewing your thorough response.

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