Wikipedia now requires its contributors to declare any employer, client or affiliation that gives them compensation in exchange for contributions.
Editors must make this relationship clear either through a statement on their profile page; as part of the edit summary that accompanies their paid contributions; or on the talk page alongside applicable edits. Wikipedia warns that specific guidelines and policies set up by the Wikimedia Foundation or Wikipedia community may require a more detailed disclosure, or simply limit the extent to which editors can receive paid contributions.
“The amendment is not intended to impact participants in gallery, library, archive and museum (GLAM) projects, or professors, when they are writing about topics of general interest on their own, rather than writing about their own institutions while being compensated directly quid pro quo, for example,” a letter from the Wikimedia Foundation board reads.
For specific Wikimedia projects, the Foundation said it said it would discuss and possibly approve alternative disclosure policies. The board said it also recognized the “complexity” of the problem and, after monitoring the new rules, would make further amendments if necessary.
The changes are effective immediately and can be read in the updated Terms of Use, under “paid contributions without disclosure.”
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➤ Board Letter [via Blog Post]
Featured image credit: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
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