Content determined by volunteer editors, says Wikipedia parent

Content determined by volunteer editors, says Wikipedia parent

Subject: Science and Tech

Sec: Awareness in IT

Context: The defamation suit by Asian News International claims ₹2 crore in damages from the Wikimedia Foundation, which runs Wikipedia.

More About News:

• The Wikimedia Foundation has responded to the lawsuit this week by Asian News International (ANI), the newswire agency that supplies video and text feeds to several news organisations in India
• ANI had sued the Wikipedia parent demanding ₹2 crore for what it said were defamatory allegations in the introduction section of its page on the online encyclopaedia — such as its alleged pro-government bias and tendency to cite misinformation. 
• The Hon’ble Delhi High Court has issued a summons to the Wikimedia Foundation regarding a defamation case filed by ANI against the Foundation.
• Wikipedia’s content is determined by its global community of volunteer editors (also known as the ‘Wikimedia Community’) who compile and share information on notable subjects.”
• Wikipedia’s volunteer-centric editorial norms against Indian regulations like the IT Rules, 2021, which require all loosely defined internet “intermediaries” to take action against content online if it is, among other things, defamatory, and a court or government order is issued against them.
• One of the main constraints in this case is that Wikipedia globally abstains from the kind of article-level control over its content that such regulations demand of online platforms, deferring instead to its vast network of volunteer editors.

IT Rules:

• The IT Rules derive their authority from the Information Technology Act, 2000,which provides legal recognition for electronic commerce.
• Safe Harbour Provision:

• • The Act provides a “safe harbour” for intermediaries that observe due diligence in discharging their duties and follow guidelines prescribed by the state.
• Section 79 of the Act grants immunity to intermediaries, as long as they follow due diligence and state-prescribed guidelines.
• Intermediaries include social media platforms like WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
• The 2021 IT Rules replaced the previous guidelines and sought to regulate intermediaries and digital news media.
• Social media platforms were required to provide technological solutions to identify the first originator of any information, risking privacy.
• The amendments introduced in April 2023 give the government power to decide for itself what information is bogus and exercise wide-ranging powers of censorship by compelling intermediaries to take down posts deemed fake or false.
• The new regulations threaten freedom of speech and civil liberties in India by restricting speech through executive order rather than legislation.
• Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution grants every citizen the right to freedom of speech and expression, which can only be limited through reasonable restrictions made by law on the grounds stipulated in Article 19(2).
• Fake news and misinformation are not grounds on which speech can be limited, and the amendments made to the IT Rules do not caveat the restraints they place in any manner.