London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Elon Musk blasts Wikipedia after it suspends edits of ‘recession’ page

Elon Musk blasts Wikipedia after it suspends edits of ‘recession’ page

Elon Musk hit out at Wikipedia on Friday for "losing its objectivity" after the online encyclopedia blocked users from editing its "recession" page.

Elon Musk slammed Wikipedia on Friday for “losing its objectivity” after the online encyclopedia blocked users from editing its “recession” page — prompting accusations that it was running interference for the Biden administration.

Musk, the Tesla CEO and the world’s richest person with an estimated net worth of $263 billion, tagged Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales in a tweet on Friday.

“Wikipedia is losing its objectivity,” Musk tweeted.

Wikipedia blocked users from revising its “recession” page after visitors to the site engaged in a frantic editing war over the definition of the term, which is being disputed by the Biden administration following the latest economic data showing a drop in GDP.

One Wikipedia user known as “Soibangla” edited the “recession” page to remove reference to the standard definition of the term.

The user added a line that read: “There is no global consensus on the definition of a recession.”


As of Friday morning, the page included a lock icon in the upper right corner indicating that it was placed in “semi-protection” mode whereby “unregistered users … as well as accounts [that] are not confirmed or autoconfirmed” would not be able to make changes to the text.

“Wikipedia changed the definition of recession to favor the Biden regime, and then locked the page,” tweeted right-leaning social media personality Mike Cernovich.

“Can’t make Biden look bad before the midterm elections!” tweeted another Twitter user.

Elon Musk took Wikipedia to task on Friday for “losing its objectivity.”


The change comes after dozens of people flocked to the page to make edits to the entry. They were most likely spurred by Thursday’s Commerce Department report indicating that the country’s GDP fell by 0.9%.

This is the second consecutive quarter that the national economy has contracted — which meets the traditional definition of a recession.

But the Biden administration has insisted that the economy is not in a recession. The president and his aides have steadfastly refused to use the word in briefings to reporters.

“This is not an economy that’s in recession,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.

“But we’re in a period of transition in which growth is slowing and that’s necessary and appropriate and we need to be growing at a steady and sustainable pace.”

Wikipedia prevented users from editing its entry on “recession.”

Dozens of users engaged in an editing war, prompting the site to restrict editing to registered visitors.

Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia’s co-founder, has been accused of stifling free speech.

President Biden has denied that the economy is in recession despite two straight quarters of negative GDP growth.


Whether the US is technically in a recession is a determination that is usually made by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which is a private, nonprofit research organization based in Cambridge, Mass.

The NBER bills itself as an apolitical group that is “committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community.”

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has also refused to say that the country is in a recession.


The Post has sought comment from Wikipedia.

“Semi-protection is useful when there is a significant amount of disruption or vandalism from new or unregistered users, or to prevent sockpuppets of blocked or banned users from editing, especially when it occurs on biographies of living persons who have had a recent high level of media interest,” according to the Wikipedia page.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×