Sockpuppets manipulated content, removed warnings on Adani Group on website, claims Wikipedia: Report

The free online encyclopaedia has alleged some of these false online identities belonged to Adani Group employees, a report in the media said.

This follows the US short-seller Hindenburg Research report accusing the group of accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and money laundering.

The report published just ahead of Adani Group’s flagship company Adani Enterprises Rs 20,000 crore follow-on public offer (FPO), triggered a massive decline in the stock prices of the listed companies of the conglomerate.

In a matter of a month, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani lost over USD 70 billion in net worth and slipped to 25th rank on the world billionaire index from being Asia's richest and the world's third most wealthy businessman.

Accordng to the media report, Wikipedia in a February 20 'Disinformation Report' referred to the "con" alleged by Hindenburg, to ask "Did he (Adani) and his employees also try to "con" Wikipedia readers with non-neutral PR versions of related Wikipedia articles?"

Wikipedia has responded this question in the affirmative, said the report. "Almost certainly they did," was Wikipedia’s response, it said.

"Over 40 later banned or blocked sockpuppets or undeclared paid editors created or revised nine related articles on the Adani family and family businesses. Many of them edited several of the articles and added non-neutral material or puffery," Wikipedia said.

Wikipedia alleged, listing IP addresses that edited information on Adani, his wife Priti, son Karan, nephew Pranav and the group companies, the report stated.

According to the report, Wikipedia has said that a write-up on Adani was began in 2007 in "a straightforward style" but by 2012 three editors, who were later blocked or banned as sockpuppets or undeclared paid editors, had edited the information on "the philanthropy section, made a few reverts, and removed a warning tax".

"A declared paid editor, using a company IP address, completely rewrote the Adani Group article. Others removed warnings about conflict-of-interest editing. Some created articles by unusual methods that avoided Wikipedia's quality control systems," it said.

Wikipedia, however, did not provide the information that was added by the sockpuppet.

"Perhaps the most concerning finding is that Hatchens, an article for creation reviewer, was banned for abusing his position and possibly corruptly approving several Adani articles. He edited seven of the nine articles examined," it added.

Wikipedia said billionaires have a history of apparent undeclared paid editing on Wikipedia, according to the report.