Wikimedia, the nonprofit behind Wikipedia, is under investigation by the House Oversight Committee, which has requested all information related to users accused of spreading “anti-Israel” content.

In a letter signed by Chairman James Comer and Chairwoman Nancy Mace, Congress demanded that Wikimedia turn over documents and communications that could help identify editors allegedly violating platform policies.

We seek your assistance in obtaining documents and communications regarding individuals (or specific accounts) serving as Wikipedia volunteer editors who violated Wikipedia platform policies as well as your own efforts to thwart intentional, organized efforts to inject bias into important and sensitive topics.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the investigation was sparked by a March report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which accused a group of 30 Wikipedia editors of coordinated manipulation on pages related to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The ADL report claimed:

"The editors appeared to coordinate to change pages related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, downplaying Palestinian antisemitism, violence, and calls to destroy Israel while promoting criticism of Israel."

Daniel Kelley, Interim Head of the ADL’s Center for Technology and Society, called on policymakers to intervene:

“It’s clear that Wikipedia needs to do far more to address the very active antisemitic and anti-Israel bias and coordination.”

The ADL urged Congress to hold hearings, create a task force on antisemitic bias, and force Wikipedia to tighten editorial oversight.

Critics say the Oversight Committee’s probe raises serious free speech and privacy concerns. Glenn Greenwald mocked the investigation on X, writing:

"It had been 3 days since the US congress took action for Israel [...] The Committee tries to justify itself by pretending to investigate foreign states, but the vast bulk of the letter and the demands focus on doxxing the identity of users spreading content critical of Israel..."

Political analyst Dominic Michael Tripi added that Wikipedia has reportedly been pressured to remove “Early Life” sections from biographies after the ADL labeled them “coded hate” used to fuel bigotry. These sections typically include information about religion and ancestry — often scrutinized in culture war debates.