The US Congress's Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is investigating Wikipedia for the possible influence of nation-state actors in editing activities, specifically in articles related to Israel.
This was announced in a letter sent to Wikimedia CEO Maryana Iskander on Wednesday from the committee's chair, James Comer, and chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, Nancy Mace.
The investigation comes as part of a broader inquiry into the efforts of foreign actors at academic institutions subsidized by US taxpayer dollars to influence US public opinion.
Interestingly, the letter specifically highlights systematic efforts to advance antisemitic and anti-Israel information in Wikipedia articles related to Israel. It also notes actions by hostile nation-state actors to expose Western audiences to pro-Kremlin and anti-Western messaging by manipulating Wikipedia articles and other news outlets relied on for training AI chatbots.
Wikipedia is one of several platforms hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikmiedia does not create the articles shown on Wikipedia, as this is done by volunteer editors, however it is responsible for managing threats and handling bad actors.
This includes questions concerning the tools and methods Wikipedia utilizes to identify and stop malicious conduct that injects bias or undermines a neutral point of view on its platform, the letter continues.
As such, Mace and Comer requested information from Wikimedia covering the period January 1, 2023 to present, to be handed over as soon as possible but no later than September 10, 2025.
This includes records, communications, or analysis pertaining to possible coordination by nation-state actors in editing activities on Wikipedia; records pertaining to possible coordination within academic institutions to edit or influence content identified as possibly violating Wikipedia policies; and records of Wikipedia’s Arbitration Committee (ArbCom), including but not limited to all editor conduct disputes and actions taken against them.
Additionally, Mace and Comer asked for records showing identifying and unique characteristics of accounts (such as names, IP addresses, registration dates, and user activity logs) for editors subject to actions by ArbCom, effectively asking for personal information regarding individuals.
Request for an analysis on patterns of bias, related to antisemitism, Israel
They also specifically requested any analysis conducted or reviewed by the Wikimedia Foundation of patterns of manipulation or bias related to antisemitism and conflicts with the State of Israel.
The Jerusalem Post has reported repeatedly on anti-Israel and antisemitic related issues with Wikipedia and Wikimedia.
In October 2024, the Post revealed that Wikipedia’s page on “Zionism” was being partly edited by a user with strongly anti-Zionist views.
Then, earlier in August 2025, the Post reported that one of six finalists up for election for the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees has on several occasions posted the inverted red triangle associated with Hamas and has accused Israel of falsifying claims of rape by Hamas on October 7, 2023.
However, the Congress letter seems to be at least partly influenced by the Anti-Defamation League's March report into Wikipedia bias.
The ADL report found that at least 30 editors were altering Wikipedia to introduce antisemitic and anti-Israel biases, and that the 30 editors edited twice as much over the last 10 years compared to their colleagues and were 18 times more active in communications than other editors.
The ADL said editors appeared to coordinate changing relevant pages, downplaying Palestinian antisemitism, violence, and calls to destroy Israel, and adding more criticism of Israel.
These edits allegedly increased following the October 7 massacre, with the reported “systematic” removal of reputable source citations and tandem voting to keep content critical of Israel and remove information about Palestinian terrorism.
Michael Starr contributed to this report.