Wikipedia is downgrading the image of figures who shift to the right, according to a study.

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia treats public figures differently depending on their political evolution. Guillermo Parra, an economist and researcher at the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia, analyzed 271,400 archived versions of biographical pages. His analysis reveals that public figures who shift to the right see their image gradually deteriorate on the collaborative platform.

A bias documented over 271,400 pages

Parra's research documents a previously understudied phenomenon: how Wikipedia contributors modify the tone and content of biographical articles according to their political stances. The size of the corpus studied allows for the identification of recurring editorial trends. The pages in question undergo modifications that alter the presentation of the lives and achievements of the individuals concerned.

This study comes at a time when Wikipedia remains the primary source of biographical information consulted by the general public. The platform claims editorial neutrality, but the Canadian economist's work raises questions about the true objectivity of the collaborative writing process. Current moderation mechanisms do not appear to prevent these biases in content processing.