The Delhi High Court has instructed the operator of Wikipedia to remove defamatory statements from the page of news agency ANI hosted on the platform. This marks the latest directive aimed at the widely-used online encyclopedia.
The Wikimedia Foundation now joins X (formerly Twitter) as the second major tech platform to become involved in court disputes over content removal orders in India in recent years.
Last year, ANI filed a defamation suit against Wikimedia in the Delhi High Court, challenging a Wikipedia description that referred to it as a government "propaganda tool" and seeking the removal of such statements.
In a ruling on April 3, 2025, the court declared, "The impugned statements are... defamatory and tarnish the professional reputation of" ANI, ordering their removal.
The foundation did not respond to a request for comment on the ruling and whether it will appeal.
ANI Seeks Damages
The court will continue to hear the case, in which ANI seeks damages of about Rs 2 crore ($240,000) and an apology from Wikimedia. The ruling "affirms the fundamental right to reputation", a lawyer for ANI, Sidhant Kumar, told Reuters in a statement.
As a result of the dispute, U.S.-based Wikimedia has raised questions about free speech in the world's largest democracy.
In October, the court ordered the takedown of a Wikipedia page related to the dispute, calling it "interference in court proceedings", prompting Wikimedia to go to the Supreme Court in January.
Wikimedia said in its Supreme Court filing that "the selective and permanent takedown... creates a chilling effect on free speech, and restricts access to knowledge".
X is also challenging government orders to block some posts about Indian farmers' protests in 2021.
