Former Wikipedia chief on fighting censorship and potentially paying contributors to address diversity gaps
New Atlanticist
by
Nick Fouriezos
Courtesy: Katherine Maher
When the Turkish government asked Wikipedia to take down references to reports that Turkey was supporting militants in Syria, the online encyclopedia refused—and had its reach to more than eighty million Turkish residents cut off. While that would have been a major hit for many online media platforms, Wikipedia was uniquely positioned to weather the storm, battling in court for nearly three years until Turkey’s highest court ruled in January 2020 that the government’s ban violated free-expression rights.