Wikipedia Co-Founder Larry Sanger Permanently Banned From Editing Site

Wikipedia has indefinitely blocked its co-founder Larry Sanger from editing the online encyclopedia, a move Sanger described as "flabbergasted" and a failure of due process. The ban came after Sanger launched WikiProject Intellectual Diversity (WID) last month, an initiative aimed at reinforcing the site's original commitment to neutrality and transparency.

Sanger, who also drafted Wikipedia's foundational rules and guidelines and launched the site with Jimmy Wales in 2001, stated that the decision was made by a group of volunteer editors. He characterized the modern Wikipedia editing community as a "mob or a blob," where users are influenced by each other rather than adhering to a fixed vision of the rules.

His efforts to encourage participation from underrepresented viewpoints, particularly American conservatives and Hindus, reportedly made him unpopular with some of the site's most prolific editors. The specific reason for his ban was not provided.

Sanger has long argued that real power on Wikipedia resides with a small group of administrators, which he refers to as the "Power 62." He claims these administrators, who often operate anonymously, wield significant influence over content. He also criticized the lack of procedural fairness in the blocking process, comparing it to being judged by a "faceless mob" without basic safeguards like a prosecutor or jury.

After making his block public on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Sanger was permanently banned from Wikipedia, with all avenues for appeal reportedly closed. The campaign against him was reportedly instigated by an editor known as TarnishedPath, who has been involved in other controversial editorial decisions, including a moratorium on the "Zionism" article and efforts to label J.K. Rowling as "anti-trans."

Despite being banned from editing in the Israel-Palestine subject area due to problematic behavior, TarnishedPath allegedly played a key role in Sanger's ban. Wikipedia has faced scrutiny for alleged left-wing bias, including efforts to brand Donald Trump as a fascist and authoritarian. The site's rating system for reliable sources also favors mainstream media outlets over conservative ones, with outlets like Fox News and Newsmax rated as "Generally unreliable" while Chinese state media is rated "sometimes reliable."

Wikipedia editors justified Sanger's ban by categorizing his recent activities as "canvassing," a policy violation that involves alerting other editors to influence a discussion's outcome. Sanger disputed this, arguing that he was recruiting for a project misrepresented as being aligned with the "radical right wing."

Sanger returned to active engagement on Wikipedia in recent months after a long absence. In September, he published "Nine Theses," calling for a fundamental overhaul of Wikipedia, which he believes has been captured by a "Globalist, Academic, Secular, and Progressive" worldview. Ironically, one of his theses called for an end to indefinite blocking.

Sanger's re-engagement had already caused turmoil, notably his intervention on the "Gaza genocide" entry, which led to Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales also weighing in critically on the discussion page. While Sanger appreciated Wales's defense, he expressed fatalism about his own standing on the platform. Wales himself has largely minimized Sanger's role as co-founder in recent years.