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BumRushDaShow

(160,228 posts)
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:40 PM Aug 27

Republicans investigate Wikipedia over allegations of organized bias

Source: The Hill

08/27/25 1:39 PM ET


Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee opened a probe into alleged organized efforts to inject bias into Wikipedia entries and the organization’s responses.

Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), chair of the panel’s subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology, and government innovation, on Wednesday sent an information request on the matter to Maryana Iskander, chief executive officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia.

The request, the lawmakers said in the letter, is part of an investigation into “foreign operations and individuals at academic institutions subsidized by U.S. taxpayer dollars to influence U.S. public opinion.” The panel is seeking documents and communications about Wikipedia volunteer editors who violated the platform’s policies, as well as the Wikimedia Foundation’s efforts to “thwart intentional, organized efforts to inject bias into important and sensitive topics.”

“Multiple studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on the Wikipedia platform for propaganda aimed at Western audiences,” Comer and Mace wrote in the letter.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5473331-wikipedia-bias-probe-republicans/



EPSTEIN FILES!

Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), chair of the panel’s subcommittee on cybersecurity, information technology, and government innovation, on Wednesday sent an information request


Notice how when it is the GOP who does this, they call them "information requests" but when it's Democrats, they are dubbed ( "sternly worded" ) "letters" and that characterization (or mischaracterization) works its magic of generationg circular firing squads?
42 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Republicans investigate Wikipedia over allegations of organized bias (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Aug 27 OP
The GQP once again fulfill their role as professional victims. groundloop Aug 27 #1
Well you hildegaard28 Aug 27 #2
This sounds like one of those accusations that is a confession. markodochartaigh Aug 27 #3
An edit is needed ... please forgive me. Botany Aug 27 #7
Bias Scarlet Begalas Aug 28 #28
Jesus.Fucking.CHRIST. 50 Shades Of Blue Aug 27 #4
It's as if they didn't control the whole government Klarkashton Aug 27 #5
Klarkashton Scarlet Begalas Aug 28 #29
When did the government get the power to regulate free speech on Wikipedia? bucolic_frolic Aug 27 #6
Good point jfz9580m Aug 28 #32
WTAF!! yardwork Aug 27 #8
"truth has a liberal bias" Skittles Aug 27 #9
They literally can't handle the truth. thought crime Aug 28 #25
I subscribe to the GAB mailing list (strictly for amusement!) JawJaw Aug 28 #31
Wikipedia articles have many authors bmichaelh Aug 27 #10
Wikipedia shows the weakness of not having one overriding editor who has final say - of course, you hope that top editor Midwestern Democrat Aug 29 #42
These people must be made out of fucking 200 year old glass or egg shells because these people chowder66 Aug 27 #11
If you want to see what conservatives would do to wikapedia ThoughtCriminal Aug 27 #12
Out of curiosity, I checked out Conservapedia occasionally in the past. Prof. Toru Tanaka Aug 27 #14
ThoughtCriminal Scarlet Begalas Aug 28 #30
It's a private enterprise. They can be as biased as they want. Vinca Aug 27 #13
Maybe rwnj will realize after all these bogus investigations Marthe48 Aug 27 #15
Unlikely. 8 investigations failed to convince them about Benghazi. nt Shipwack Aug 27 #17
The endless 'investigations' are only meant to cripple us. DC courts are nearly travelingthrulife Aug 28 #38
I was being snotty Marthe48 Aug 28 #40
This phrase makes little sense. Shipwack Aug 27 #16
I take it hildegaard28 Aug 28 #27
How about turning over that Fox News rock? Zorro Aug 27 #18
"Republicans investigate" Six117 Aug 27 #19
Facts don't care about your feelings. Fuck their party and the fascist horse it rode in on. Karasu Aug 27 #20
"Truth has a liberal bias" Jack Valentino Aug 27 #21
Yep. We all know as much, but their entire "anti-bias" crusade is just an attempt to rework all of reality to fit the Karasu Aug 27 #24
Some of us--- or rather most of THEM, but not US... Jack Valentino Aug 28 #41
If there is one thing Mace needs, it's organized bias, she only had 8 people show up for her rally. Uncle Joe Aug 27 #22
I hope the Wikipedia folks reply is .... mwooldri Aug 27 #23
They're playing to the base, and I mean base.(NT) The Wizard Aug 28 #26
Any bias I've seen on Wikipedia has generally been Republicans or dodgy business types covering up their own misdeeds muriel_volestrangler Aug 28 #33
The GOP excels at "projection". BumRushDaShow Aug 28 #34
They'll have a gaggle of Mar-a-Lardo ladies look over the website wolfie001 Aug 28 #35
Well, there goes that source. orangecrush Aug 28 #36
Comer needs to find a different hobby. emulatorloo Aug 28 #37
He should go back to farming. travelingthrulife Aug 28 #39

hildegaard28

(780 posts)
2. Well you
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:43 PM
Aug 27

See, Republicans, there's this little thing called the first amendment that allows Wikipedia, and the American people in general, to be as biased as they want to be. Ain't nothing you can do about it.

markodochartaigh

(4,027 posts)
3. This sounds like one of those accusations that is a confession.
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:44 PM
Aug 27

“Multiple studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on the Wikipedia platform for propaganda aimed at Western audiences,”

Botany

(75,307 posts)
7. An edit is needed ... please forgive me.
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:52 PM
Aug 27

“Multiple studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on the Wikipedia platform for propaganda aimed at Western audiences,”

Edited

“Multiple studies and reports have highlighted efforts to manipulate information on FOX NEWS
for propaganda aimed at all audiences,”

Klarkashton

(4,004 posts)
5. It's as if they didn't control the whole government
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:49 PM
Aug 27

And instead were out in the cold being whipped with cat o nine tails begging for mercy.

Scarlet Begalas

(58 posts)
29. Klarkashton
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 12:52 AM
Aug 28

The thing is, when it comes to fascists, they'r not satisfied until they crush all dissent.

bucolic_frolic

(52,410 posts)
6. When did the government get the power to regulate free speech on Wikipedia?
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 07:50 PM
Aug 27

Republicans don't like it, they can rewrite it, that's how it operates.

jfz9580m

(15,958 posts)
32. Good point
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 03:19 AM
Aug 28

If you don’t like what’s on Wikipedia then make an account and make your case the civilized way.

thought crime

(789 posts)
25. They literally can't handle the truth.
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 12:21 AM
Aug 28

They need alternative facts, official lies, conspiracy theories and of course, religion to prop up their belief in whatever they wish was true.

JawJaw

(729 posts)
31. I subscribe to the GAB mailing list (strictly for amusement!)
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 03:05 AM
Aug 28

Their latest newsletter proclaims the advent of the GAB AI browser extension, to allow their brow-beaten right wing audience to inhabit a parallel internet (as they describe it) and generate rightwing AI responses to twitter posts. JFC, these people...

https://imgur.com/a/IRVFRWr

bmichaelh

(945 posts)
10. Wikipedia articles have many authors
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 08:04 PM
Aug 27

They do not know how Wikipedia works.

Most anyone can submit a change to an article if they think it is wrong.

Granted, sometimes they have to correct articles, because of a joke.

Onetime, Senator McConnell's Wikipedia article said he was a turtle.

That was not because of some conspiracy.


42. Wikipedia shows the weakness of not having one overriding editor who has final say - of course, you hope that top editor
Fri Aug 29, 2025, 02:09 AM
Aug 29

knows what he's doing. There have been many articles where I thought a previous version was superior before a new round of changes.

chowder66

(11,269 posts)
11. These people must be made out of fucking 200 year old glass or egg shells because these people
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 08:11 PM
Aug 27

CAN NOT handle a damn thing.

They have to control as much as possible to feel less terrified of everything. They think they have bravado, or are Type A's but they are just scared-shitless little creeps and creep-ettes who have zero coping abilities.

ThoughtCriminal

(14,634 posts)
12. If you want to see what conservatives would do to wikapedia
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 08:31 PM
Aug 27

Just take a look at the insane asylum called "Conservapedia". A looney collection of the dumbest, most insane things that conservative believe.




Prof. Toru Tanaka

(2,790 posts)
14. Out of curiosity, I checked out Conservapedia occasionally in the past.
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 09:11 PM
Aug 27

The bias in those articles is laughable!

Comer and Mace are a couple of stooges that couldn’t find their way out of a shithouse..

Scarlet Begalas

(58 posts)
30. ThoughtCriminal
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 12:57 AM
Aug 28

And, of course they stole the idea for their name from Wikipedia. Because they're not original thinkers.

Marthe48

(21,833 posts)
15. Maybe rwnj will realize after all these bogus investigations
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 09:27 PM
Aug 27

that nothing they do is licit, popular, or meaningful. No amount of spinning, lying, erasing, will change the basic fact that rwnj are unlikable crooks.

travelingthrulife

(3,268 posts)
38. The endless 'investigations' are only meant to cripple us. DC courts are nearly
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 10:57 AM
Aug 28

defunct from their firehouse approach to the law.

Marthe48

(21,833 posts)
40. I was being snotty
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 12:09 PM
Aug 28

I can't pass up an opportunity to point how how blind rwnj are to their own failures.

Shipwack

(2,853 posts)
16. This phrase makes little sense.
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 09:35 PM
Aug 27
The request, the lawmakers said in the letter, is part of an investigation into “foreign operations and individuals at academic institutions subsidized by U.S. taxpayer dollars to influence U.S. public opinion.”


I interpret this as
some foreign people are writing opinions unflattering to the US. These people are attending institutions that receive funding from the US. These people are trying to influence public opinion by expressing their own views.


Do I have the right of it? How much free time do these politicians have that they can get butthurt over a Wikipedia article?

hildegaard28

(780 posts)
27. I take it
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 12:46 AM
Aug 28

To mean that they don’t think professors at taxpayer funded institutions should be able to express opinions they don’t like.

Zorro

(17,888 posts)
18. How about turning over that Fox News rock?
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 09:42 PM
Aug 27

Bet they'd find lots of foreign influences there.

Karasu

(2,003 posts)
24. Yep. We all know as much, but their entire "anti-bias" crusade is just an attempt to rework all of reality to fit the
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 11:34 PM
Aug 27

insane views they already fucking believe and reduce literally fucking everything to a matter of opinion.

In combination with social media, they are the reason why we've been living in a post-factual world for the last decade.

Uncle Joe

(63,167 posts)
22. If there is one thing Mace needs, it's organized bias, she only had 8 people show up for her rally.
Wed Aug 27, 2025, 11:07 PM
Aug 27

I guess they think trashing the 1st Amendment will turn out at least 9 or 10 people?

Thanks for the thread BumRushDaShow

muriel_volestrangler

(104,730 posts)
33. Any bias I've seen on Wikipedia has generally been Republicans or dodgy business types covering up their own misdeeds
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 04:05 AM
Aug 28

Embarrassing facts edited out, that kind of thing. Organised among their employees, perhaps.

wolfie001

(6,138 posts)
35. They'll have a gaggle of Mar-a-Lardo ladies look over the website
Thu Aug 28, 2025, 05:57 AM
Aug 28

It'll be completely ruined in no time. I hope they have $20 million to spare so they can buy a bit-coin bribe. Probably be an annual charge.

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