Wikipedia co-founder says he was banned from the platform for trying to improve the site
Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger says he has been permanently banned from editing the platform he helped launch more than two decades ago. According to Sanger
Wikipedia co-founder Larry Sanger says he has been permanently banned from editing the platform he helped launch more than two decades ago. According to Sanger, the ban came after he tried to introduce changes to make Wikipedia more open and balanced. Wikipedia editors, however, argue that he was banned for breaking community rules by trying to influence internal discussions from outside the platform. Read Full Story Sanger, who co-founded Wikipedia alongside Jimmy Wales and helped name the platform, detailed the ban in an essay published in the Washington Examiner. He revealed that he was first blocked indefinitely before the ban was made permanent.
According to Sanger, the episode shows that Wikipedia is no longer the open platform it claims to be, arguing that even one of its founders can no longer edit the site if they try to introduce meaningful reforms. The dispute reportedly began after Sanger proposed WikiProject Intellectual Diversity, an initiative aimed at encouraging broader viewpoints on Wikipedia. He also shared details of the proposal with his followers on X, asking them to take part in the discussion. Wikipedia administrators said this amounted to "canvassing",using off-platform channels to influence internal decision-making, which violates the site's community guidelines. According to reports, Sanger's initial block was briefly lifted before the standard discussion period ended, but administrators later reinstated it after concluding there was clear consensus for an indefinite ban.
Sanger meanwhile has rejected that explanation, calling the process a "kangaroo court" and accusing administrators of applying the rules selectively. He also argues that Wikipedia is effectively controlled by a small group of anonymous administrators. While anyone can technically edit the encyclopedia, Sanger says those with administrative powers ultimately decide who gets to contribute and who does not. "It is not the case that just anybody can edit it. Anybody can try," Sanger wrote, adding that administrators can "gang up" on editors who do not align with the prevailing culture. He also criticised the use of vague accusations such as "not here to build the encyclopedia", saying that was one of the reasons cited in his own case.
For now, both sides remain firm in their positions. Sanger says he was banned for trying to improve Wikipedia and expose problems in how it is governed. Wikipedia editors, meanwhile, maintain that the action was based on process rather than criticism itself, arguing that he violated community rules by attempting to influence internal consensus through off-platform mobilisation. Ends
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