Senator Ted Cruz Sends Letter to Wikimedia Foundation Alleging Liberal Bias in Wikipedia

Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has sent a letter to the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit operator of Wikipedia, alleging a pattern of liberal bias in the collaborative encyclopedia’s articles. Dated October 3, the letter from Cruz—chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation—requests information about ideological bias on Wikipedia and the foundation’s editorial practices.

Cruz expressed concern over what he called "systemic bias," citing research from the conservative Manhattan Institute that he claimed identified "left-wing bias" in Wikipedia’s content. He highlighted the foundation’s "reliable sources/perennial sources list," noting its categorization of MSNBC and CNN as "generally reliable" while labeling Fox News as "generally unreliable" for politics and science. Additionally, Cruz alleged the list grants top ratings to the left-leaning Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) while "blacklisting" the Heritage Foundation, a prominent conservative think tank, as "deprecated" and "promoting disinformation."

The senator further accused the Wikimedia Foundation of "financially supporting left-wing organizations contributing to Wikipedia content" and of failing to address a "coordinated group of editors" that promoted antisemitic narratives and whitewashed the activities of groups like Hamas. In January, Wikipedia banned eight editors in response to edit wars over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; Cruz acknowledged the action but questioned its motives, suggesting it raised questions about the foundation’s editorial oversight.

Wikimedia Foundation’s Response

In a statement provided to Ars Technica, the Wikimedia Foundation emphasized Wikipedia’s "strong safeguards and high-quality volunteer oversight" and described it as a "living encyclopedia that is always improving." The foundation noted its commitment to free expression, transparent processes, and volunteer-driven content creation, with nearly 260,000 volunteers having produced over 65 million articles in 300 languages. "Wikipedia seeks to inform, not persuade," the statement concluded, reaffirming its dedication to protecting editorial free expression.

Context: Timing and Broader Investigations

The letter was sent approximately two weeks after Cruz criticized Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr for threatening ABC with potential station license revocations over political content on Jimmy Kimmel’s show. Cruz argued such actions would harm conservative voices, comparing the threat to "mafioso intimidation."

Cruz’s letter also aligns with his broader investigations into alleged Biden administration censorship. He previously released a report claiming the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) acted as a "censor" and scheduled a hearing titled "Shut Your App: How Uncle Sam Jawboned Big Tech Into Silencing Americans." In the letter to Wikimedia, he cited his committee’s jurisdiction over online platforms, requesting written responses by October 17, 2025, and relevant documents.

Ars Technica requested comment from Cruz’s office regarding perceived inconsistencies between his criticism of Wikipedia and the FCC, but had not received a response at publication.

This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.