Elon Musk slams Jimmy Wales after Wikipedia blocks edits of recession page

On Friday, July 29, Elon Musk criticised Wikipedia for "losing its objectivity" after the online encyclopedia barred users from editing its page on "recession," sparking claims that it was swaying public opinion for the US administration. On July 29, internet users brought to light the fact that they were unable to edit Wikipedia's "recession" page.

It's important to mention here that the Joe Biden government in the US is debating the definition of a "recession" after the most recent economic data showed a fall in country's GDP. Meanwhile, tagging the Wikipedia co-founder, Jimmy Wales, in one of his tweet, the Tesla CEO, Elon Musk wrote, "Wikipedia is losing its objectivity @jimmy_wales."

Everyone is aware that any article on Wikipedia can be edited by anyone. The campaign to change the definition of recession has been going on in the US since July 28. In an effort to mediate the conflict between the competing groups of Wikipedia editors, the editing feature was turned off.

The Wikipedia's 'recession' page was put on semi-protection mode

The Wikipedia's 'recession' page had a lock icon in the top right corner as of the morning of July 29 to indicate that it had been put into "semi-protection" mode, preventing text changes from "unregistered users … as well as accounts [that] are not confirmed or autoconfirmed." 

According to the Wikipedia article, "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."

The editing war began after the Biden administration downplayed US economic data that suggested the country had entered a recession. In the previous two quarters of the year, the country saw negative growth. Usually, two quarters of negative growth indicates that the country is in recession. The Biden administration, on the other hand, avoided using the feared phrase. The US Commerce Department, on the other hand, stated that the country is on the right track and will emerge stronger from "this transition."

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