For too long, Wikipedia has hidden behind a façade of "consensus" while a small, anonymous group of insiders quietly wields enormous influence over billions of people, directly and indirectly.

This is not how a free and open public knowledge project should operate.

We, the undersigned, call on the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) to restore Wikipedia to its founding ideals of openness, neutrality, and public accountability. While rank-and-file editors are generally responsible for editorial policy, the WMF sets the rules about broader governance and public interaction. So, we are calling on the WMF to implement those items in the Nine Theses on Wikipedia that fall within its traditional purview.

We demand four immediate reforms that the WMF can implement:

1. Establish an elected governing body.
   Create a transparent editorial assembly, which meets face-to-face. It must be chosen by fair, public election—guaranteeing one person, one vote—to replace anonymous rule by entrenched insiders. Wikipedia needs a constitution, not an unaccountable, hidden hierarchy.
2. Let the public rate articles.
   Give readers a direct voice. Article quality and bias should be rated by human users and open source AI tools—not controlled by invisible gatekeepers.
3. Reveal who Wikipedia's leaders are.
   The identities of those editors with the highest authority must be public. Power without accountability breeds corruption—and, like any powerful media organization, Wikipedia is not exempt from this.
4. Create a dispute tool for the libeled and misrepresented.
   Those defamed on their Wikipedia pages deserve a dignified, transparent process to challenge defamation and post prominent public replies if there is no satisfactory resolution. No one should be powerless against a platform this influential.

Why this matters

Wikipedia was founded as a project of the people, by the people, for the people. But today, it functions as an unaccountable media giant, dominated by ideology, anonymous governance, and censorship by exclusion.

The Nine Theses on Wikipedia advance a set of reform principles rooted in openness, diversity of thought, and respect for the truth.

This is not a call to destroy Wikipedia. This is a proposal to save Wikipedia and make it a free encyclopedia that the world can trust.

Sign the petition

Let's make Wikipedia transparent, democratic, and answerable to the public it serves.

Join Wikipedia co-founder Dr. Larry Sanger, author of this petition and the Nine Theses, in urging the Wikimedia Foundation to adopt these reforms. Sign now to demand reform and reclaim Wikipedia for the world.