Elon Musk, boss of Tesla and SpaceX, recently called on his subscribers to stop donating to Wikipedia, which he called “Wokepedia”. This attack follows revelations about the budget of the Wikimedia Foundation, which allegedly allocated more than $50 million, or 29% of its annual budget of $177 million, to initiatives related to equity, diversity and inclusion (DEI).
A call to “restore balance”
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk said: “Stop donating to Wokepedia until they restore balance to their editorial authority. » This review was shared in response to a graphic posted by the conservative account Libs of TikTokwhich detailed the Wikimedia Foundation's budgetary priorities.
According to this data, DEI spending represented 17.6% of the total budget ($31.2 million) and programs related to safety and inclusion 11.6% ($20.5 million). In contrast, infrastructure received almost half of the budget (48.7%, or $86.1 million) and operational efficiency 22.2%.
Wikipedia faces accusations of political bias
These criticisms are not new to Wikipedia. Although the online collaborative platform, which attracts around 4 billion monthly visits, claims to maintain political neutrality, many observers denounce a perceived bias in favor of leftist ideas. You just need to see how the page dedicated to Breizh-Info is treated, impossible to modify (except by leftist Pravda) to realize this.
Larry Sanger, co-founder of the site, said in 2021 that “no one should trust Wikipedia » due to the influence of volunteers mainly aligned with left-wing political positions. A 2023 study by the Manhattan Institute also found a “mild to moderate” tendency for Wikipedia to associate conservative public figures with negative sentiments, while progressive figures would benefit from more favorable content.
Reply from Wikimedia Foundation
In the face of controversy, the Wikimedia Foundation defended its budget choices, saying that fairness and inclusion were essential to ensuring a diversity of contributors and ideas on the platform.
In a statement, the foundation said: “Wikipedia improves when more people from different backgrounds, including varied political views, contribute to its content. » She also emphasized that its security and integrity efforts aim to protect freedom of expression and the global accessibility of the online encyclopedia.
Musk's opposition is part of a broader movement of criticism of leftist policies in companies and public institutions. Popularized after the 2020 protests linked to the death of George Floyd, these initiatives are now being questioned by many companies, such as Walmart, Boeing and Ford, which have reduced their efforts in response to public and economic pressure, realizing that societal fads were only the work of small, active and non-popular minorities.
Musk, Donald Trump's outspoken supporter for the 2024 presidential election, has established himself as a slayer of leftism which he perceives as dominant in large institutions. His criticism could harm Wikipedia's annual fundraising, which is largely dependent on public donations. Who will cry?
Photo : DR
[cc] Breizh-info.com, 2024 dispatches free to copy and distribute subject to mention of the original source
