Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger Flags Online Encyclopedia's Anti-Hindu Bias

Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger has echoed concerns raised in a detailed dossier titled “Wikipedia’s War on India,” which alleges that the platform exhibits anti-Hindu and anti-India bias, skewing content through a small group of powerful administrators and reflecting a broader Left-leaning agenda.

In a tweet sharing an article from OpIndia, Sanger remarked, “There has been a lot of (as far as I can tell, well-justified) criticism about Wikipedia's bias against Israel. There is less talk about Wikipedia's bias against Hindus. But the evidence is there, too.”

Sanger's critique aligns with broader concerns about Wikipedia's ideological neutrality.

He has previously argued that Wikipedia's articles exhibit a left-wing and liberal bias, citing examples where content may not fully represent opposing viewpoints.

The detailed dossier titled “Wikipedia’s War on India” claims that Wikipedia is not the neutral, volunteer-driven platform it presents itself as, but a tool promoting Left-leaning propaganda against India.

The report alleges that Wikipedia skews content through a small group of powerful administrators who control edits, blacklist sources, and influence articles, often reflecting anti-Hindu and anti-India bias.

The dossier highlights financial links between the Wikimedia Foundation and donor-directed funds, including the Open Society Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Tides Foundation, and Google.

It claims some funded entities in India work against national interests, while Wikimedia collects donations from India without maintaining a local presence.

It also references Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger, who has publicly acknowledged the platform’s Left bias.

The report argues that Wikipedia meets the legal definition of a publisher in India and recommends measures including: declaring Wikipedia a publisher, scrutinising its financial transactions in India, creating a browser extension to flag biased content, and investigating anti-competitive practices by Wikimedia and Google.

The dossier frames Wikipedia not as a neutral encyclopaedia but as a platform that influences information through editorial and financial interventions, urging legal and regulatory oversight in India.

In a significant development, the Indian government issued a formal notice to Wikipedia on 5 November 2024.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) cited complaints of bias and inaccuracies, questioning why a small group of editors controls India-related content.

As reported by The Times of India, the notice also probes Wikipedia's status as an intermediary rather than a publisher, potentially subjecting it to stricter regulations.

The controversy traces back to 2020, when OpIndia published an article on 4 June alleging a crusade against right-leaning media.

This was followed by a social media campaign in August 2020, branding Wikipedia as 'anti-Hindu' after its donation appeal to Indian users.

The Print noted users accusing the platform of distorting articles on Hindu figures and events, sparking boycotts by netizens and influencers.

Meanwhile, an Indian court ordered Wikimedia to remove defamatory content on 4 April 2025, in a case involving a domestic news agency, according to Reuters. 

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