Supreme Court Backs Wikimedia in Landmark Free Speech Case

India's Supreme Court overturned a lower court's order for Wikimedia to remove a Wikipedia page about a legal dispute with news agency ANI. The Court ruled the order was disproportionate and upheld Wikimedia's argument that such actions could hinder free speech.

India's Supreme Court has quashed a lower court's directive compelling Wikimedia Foundation, the operator of Wikipedia, to delete a contentious page. The page in question detailed the legal wrangle between Wikimedia and Indian news agency ANI.

Last year, ANI filed a defamation suit against Wikimedia for a Wikipedia entry that portrayed the news agency as a "propaganda tool" for the government. Although Wikimedia was originally ordered by the Delhi High Court to remove any mention of the lawsuit, it contested the decision, arguing that it could stifle free speech.

The Supreme Court sided with Wikimedia, declaring that the High Court's order was overly severe. The court maintained that judicial bodies should withstand public scrutiny and criticism. ANI, acknowledging the ruling, emphasized the press’s right to report on legal matters but left room for potential reporting restrictions in unique circumstances.