Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026

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

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Targets South African Professionals in New Recruitment Drive Amid Regional Uncertainty
Formula One Faces Major Financial Hit as Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Cancelled Amid Middle East Conflict
U.S. and Saudi Firms Launch Local Production of Attritable Drone Systems in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia and UAE Warn Rising Gulf Tensions Could Endanger Regional Security
Saudi Arabia Rejects Claims It Encouraged Prolonged War With Iran
Saudi Arabia to Host World’s Largest Single-Cell Protein Plant as Food Security Push Accelerates
Saudi Crown Prince Urges Trump to Continue Military Pressure on Iran
Iran Intensifies Drone Campaign Against Saudi Arabia as Gulf Conflict Escalates
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
When Is Eid al-Fitr 2026? Saudi Arabia Awaits Moon Sighting to Confirm End of Ramadan
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Iranian Missile Strike Damages Five U.S. Refueling Aircraft at Saudi Air Base
Washington State Pilot Among Six U.S. Airmen Killed in Military Aircraft Crash Over Iraq
Severe Storm Threat Looms Over Washington as Tornado Risk and Damaging Winds Target Mid-Atlantic
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Trump Supports FCC Warning to Broadcasters Over Iran War Reporting
Saudi Stocks Edge Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Slips Slightly at Market Close
Iranian Missile and Drone Strike Targets Saudi Arabia’s Prince Sultan Air Base Hosting US Aircraft
Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Drone Over Eastern Province as Iranian Strike Campaign Intensifies
Middle East War Reshapes Gulf Economies as Saudi Arabia and Oman Gain Strategic Leverage While UAE Faces Economic Shock
Iranian Ambassador in Riyadh Blames ‘Enemies’ for Attacks Across the Gulf
Israeli Envoy Ron Dermer Reportedly Visits Saudi Arabia for Discussions on Potential Lebanon Talks
Formula One Cancels Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Scheduled for April
Iran’s Ambassador in Riyadh Rejects Claims Tehran Targeted Saudi Oil Facilities
Saudi Arabia Declares 2026 ‘Year of Artificial Intelligence’ in Major Push for Data-Driven Economy
Saudi Arabia’s 2018 Budget Signals Strong Push for Non-Oil Economic Growth
Pakistan Envoy in Riyadh Says Regional Diplomacy Intensifying to Prevent Wider Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Dozens of Drones as Regional Strikes Kill Two in Oman
Saudi Arabia Redirects Oil Exports to Red Sea Ports as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate
Saudi Arabia Intercepts Missile and Drone Barrage as Regional Conflict Intensifies
Iran Expands Drone and Missile Campaign Across Gulf as Conflict With US and Israel Intensifies
Muslims Worldwide Await Saudi Moon Sighting to Confirm Eid al-Fitr 2026 Date
F1 Calendar Faces Major Disruption as Middle East Conflict Threatens Bahrain and Saudi Races
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Trump Says Most US Aircraft Hit in Saudi Base Attack Suffered Minimal Damage
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Forces Saudi Arabia Into Major Oil Production Shut-In
Saudi Arabia Slashes Oil Output as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Cuts Deep Into Gulf Revenues
Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Scene Presses Ahead as Nation Navigates Regional War
Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact Faces Real-World Constraints as Iran War Escalates
Saudi Arabia Offers Two Million Barrels of Crude From Red Sea as War Disrupts Gulf Exports
Formula One Faces Tens of Millions in Lost Revenue if Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Races Are Cancelled
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Middle East War
Saudi Arabia Downs Dozens of Iranian Drones in Major Defensive Operation
Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Output by About Twenty Percent as Iran War Disrupts Gulf Energy Flows
Formula One Set to Cancel Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix Amid Escalating Iran War
Asian Energy Security Tested as Strait of Hormuz Disruption Threatens Oil Supplies
Iran Sets Three Conditions for Ending Regional War as Diplomatic Efforts Intensify
Saudi Arabia Launches Royal Institute of Anthropology to Examine Social Transformation
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Arrives in Saudi Arabia for High-Level Talks
×