Wikipedia is one of the most reliable sources of information on the internet. (Image Source: Wikipedia)
A high-profile PR firm founded by the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s communications chief is being accused of making changes to Wikipedia pages for clients to remove or downplay unfavourable news.
An investigation by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) has found that Portland Communications, a firm founded by Tim Allan, who currently serves as the UK Prime Minister’s director of communications, is allegedly linked to so-called “black hat” editors, who are paid operators who violate Wikipedia’s neutrality rules.
The practice, called “Wikilaundering”, involves removing critical reporting and adding favourable PR fluff. TBIJ also said it has evidence suggesting that Portland Communications made Wikipedia edits through Web3 Consulting, a firm run by a consultant associated with the company.
And the clients who benefitted from this “wikilaundering” might be some of the world’s richest and most powerful people. According to TBIJ, Portland Communications has been busted once already for this practice.
However, when the firm was exposed, the report states, it began hiring middlemen instead. Citing firm insiders, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism also claims that Portland Communications’ subcontractors have “polished the public image of Qatar by burying references to critical reporting ahead of the 2022 World Cup.”
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Moreover, the firm also seems to have mentioned a major terror financing case that involved Qatari businessmen, clean evidences where a billion-dollar Bill Gates-funded project failed, and supported one of Libya’s post-Gaddafi governments over the other.
Wikipedia allow anyone to edit pages, even without an account. However, all editors are required to abide by a set of rules that protect the platform from manipulation. Moreover, automated scripts also scan Wikipedia for any shady edits.
The platform’s terms of use also ban paid contributions unless they are clearly disclosed and lay down strict rules on neutrality, conflicts of interest, and sourcing. Over its 25-year existence, Wikipedia has also emerged as one of the most reliable sources of information on the internet.
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Wikipedia is one of the most reliable sources of information on the internet. (Image Source: Wikipedia) 
