High Court issues contempt notice to Wikipedia

The Delhi High Court on Thursday reprimanded Wikipedia, serving it a contempt of court notice for failing to comply with a prior order in a defamation case filed by news agency ANI. The petition filed by ANI against Wikipedia said that it permitted edits on its page that allegedly described the agency as "the propaganda tool" of the Indian government.

Justice Navin Chawla hearing the matter voiced stern disapproval, stating, "If you don't like India, please don't work in India... We will ask the government to block your site." ANI's complaint centered on Wikipedia's failure to reveal the identities of three accounts responsible for the controversial edits.

Despite a court order demanding the disclosure of these details, Wikipedia did not provide the requested information, prompting ANI to pursue contempt of court proceedings.

Wikipedia, in its defence, cited the absence of a physical presence in India as the reason for the delay in complying with the court's directive.

However, the court dismissed its argument, warning that non-compliance could lead to serious consequences, including blocking the site's operations in India.

Justice Chawla said the platform's lack of a legal entity in India does not exempt it from adhering to Indian laws. Earlier, ANI had requested the court to order Wikipedia to remove the defamatory content and sought Rs 2 crore in damages.