The Wikimedia Basis supplied a press release when contacted by Ars Monday.
“We will verify receipt of a letter from Senator Ted Cruz,” the assertion mentioned. “Wikipedia is supported by robust safeguards and high-quality volunteer oversight; it’s a dwelling encyclopedia that’s at all times enhancing. We welcome the chance to additional educate policymakers on the essential work of Wikipedia, and the Wikimedia Basis stands by its unwavering dedication to guard editors’ train of free expression. Via rigorous insurance policies, editorial requirements, consumer privateness protections, and clear processes, almost 260,000 volunteers have created over 65 million articles in 300 languages. Wikipedia seeks to tell, not persuade.”
Cruz Pressures Wikipedia After Criticizing FCC Chair
Cruz despatched the letter about two weeks after criticizing Federal Communications Fee chairman Brendan Carr for threatening ABC with station license revocations over political content material on Jimmy Kimmel’s present. Cruz mentioned that utilizing the federal government to dictate what the media can say “will find yourself unhealthy for conservatives” as a result of when Democrats are again in energy, “they are going to silence us, they are going to use this energy, and they’re going to use it ruthlessly.” Cruz mentioned that Carr threatening ABC was like “a mafioso coming right into a bar going, ‘Good bar you will have right here, it would be a disgrace if one thing occurred to it.'”
Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, would not thoughts utilizing his authority to stress Wikipedia’s operator, nonetheless. “The Standing Guidelines of the Senate grant the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation jurisdiction over communications, together with on-line data platforms,” he wrote to the Wikimedia Basis. “Because the Chairman of the Committee, I request that you just present written responses to the questions under, in addition to requested paperwork, no later than October 17, 2025, and in accordance with the connected directions.”
We requested Cruz’s workplace to clarify why a senator pressuring Wikipedia is suitable whereas an FCC chair pressuring ABC is just not and can replace this text if we get a response.
Amongst different requests, Cruz requested for “paperwork ample to point out what supervision, oversight, or affect, if any, the Wikimedia Basis has over the enhancing group,” and “paperwork ample to point out how the Wikimedia Basis addresses political or ideological bias.”
Cruz has individually been launching investigations into the Biden administration for alleged censorship. He issued a report allegedly “revealing how the Biden administration reworked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Safety Company (CISA) into an agent of censorship pressuring Massive Tech to police speech,” and scheduled a listening to for Wednesday titled, “Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Massive Tech Into Silencing People.”
Cruz’s letter to Wikimedia seeks proof that would determine into his ongoing investigations into the Biden administration. “Present any and all paperwork and communications—together with emails, texts, or different digital messages—between any officer, worker, or agent of the Wikimedia Basis and any officer, worker, or agent of the federal authorities since January 1, 2020,” the letter mentioned.
This story initially appeared on Ars Technica.