Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, sent a letter Monday to Wikimedia Foundation CEO Maryana Iskander seeking answers on how Wikipedia manages content and handles alleged left-wing bias amid rising conservative criticism.
“Wikipedia began with a noble concept: crowdsource human knowledge using verifiable sources and make it free to the public. That’s what makes reports of Wikipedia’s systemic bias especially troubling,” the senator wrote. “Its influence extends even further in the age of artificial intelligence, as every major large language model has been trained on the platform. Wikipedia shapes what Americans read today and what technology will produce tomorrow.”
Cruz cited Wikipedia’s “reliable sources” list as evidence of bias, noting that outlets like CNN, MSNBC, and the Southern Poverty Law Center are labeled “generally reliable.” Meanwhile, Fox News is deemed “generally unreliable” on politics and science. The Heritage Foundation, he added, is “deprecated” and even on the site’s “spam blacklist,” which blocks its use as a source — allegedly for attempting to dox editors.
Cruz also criticized the Wikimedia Foundation’s grant practices, claiming it “financially supports left-wing groups that shape Wikipedia content.” He pointed to grants aimed at “dismantling supremacist systems” and “decolonizing the internet” as examples.
Cruz asked Iskander to explain how Wikipedia creates and edits content, handles bias, manages its list of reliable sources, and disciplines editors. The inquiry follows renewed conservative backlash after co-founder Larry Sanger, who left in 2002, told Tucker Carlson the site’s “reliable sources” list reflects political bias.
As Sanger’s interview spread online, Elon Musk mocked Wikipedia as “Wokepedia” and revealed that his AI firm, xAI, is developing an alternative called “Grokipedia.” Meanwhile, White House AI and crypto adviser David Sacks called the site “hopelessly biased,” accusing “left-wing activists” of controlling its content and blocking fair edits. Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya, a prominent Silicon Valley conservative and co-host of the “All-In” podcast with Sacks, also accused Wikipedia of engaging in “one-sided censorship.”
The Wikimedia Foundation issued a statement last week in response to these allegations, stating that its values “reflect our unwavering commitment to reliable knowledge, neutrality, and constant improvement.”
“Wikipedia informs; it does not persuade,” the nonprofit said. “Some recent commentary overlooks the constant, high-quality volunteer oversight and strong safeguards already in place on Wikipedia. These protections allow volunteer editors to exercise their right to free expression, while upholding knowledge integrity.”
