In the past few years societies everywhere have seen seismic shifts in how information online is created and shared. Many studies suggest that fragmented and polarized corners of the internet are dramatically affecting people’s trust in what they see and believe online. Young people are finding communities in digital spaces and forums that did not exist even a few years ago. Misinformation is flooding our feeds, and the very idea of neutral, reliable facts is being challenged.
In the face of this, Wikipedia has evolved into one of the most trusted websites on the internet and a main source of data for everything from ChatGPT to Siri to whatever you look up on your phone. It offers important lessons that everyone can learn from in building knowledge that people can rely on and trust.
Most people use Wikipedia. However, not many people understand how Wikipedia works. It is supported by systems that help keep information trustworthy, and it is constantly improved by users who update it constantly, every day and every hour.
That’s why we are launching a series to share the policies, rules, systems and ways of working that have guided its growth on one of the Internet’s most iconic platforms.
Each day, hundreds of thousands of volunteer editors apply these systems to build and improve the world’s largest online encyclopedia that has more than 15 billion visits monthly. They work together to prevent bias, fight misinformation, resolve disputes, and make sure Wikipedia remains a place where knowledge is collected and shared responsibly.
Below we outline the many layers of protection that form the foundation of content creation on Wikipedia and ensure the integrity of the information you read. This article will be the first in a series that explores all of these layers of protection, and provides a deeper look into more about a model that can build consensus around what reliable information looks like in a changing world.
Core content policies
Everything starts with three core policies that guide how articles (the encyclopedia entries on Wikipedia) are written:
- Neutral point of view: Wikipedia articles must present information fairly as far as possible without bias.
- Verifiability: All information must come from published, reliable sources that readers can check themselves.
- No original research: Wikipedia doesn’t publish personal opinions or new interpretations—it summarizes what has already been published elsewhere from reliable sources.
Together, these create a set of standards intended to govern all content. When editors work on complex or controversial topics, they often debate which sources to use and how to reflect them fairly. Over time, as new information becomes available, the articles evolve and improve. These policies have proven highly effective in preventing the kinds of misinformation or unchecked propaganda seen elsewhere online.
Transparency of articles and discussions
Every Wikipedia article comes with its own time machine. Click the “History” tab at the top of a page, and you can scroll through every edit ever made—from a tiny typo fix to a major rewrite—and watch how knowledge evolves in real time. Alongside that, each article has a “Talk page” tab, where anyone can see how editors hash out disagreements, debate reliable sources, and interpret Wikipedia’s policies in plain sight; and get involved if they see ways to improve the article themselves! This radical transparency—showing both what changed and how people collaborated to get there—is what makes Wikipedia uniquely trustworthy.
Real-time review and safeguards
Wikipedia provides tools where anyone can monitor new edits as they happen. A live feed shows every new edit the moment it happens, and volunteers around the world scan it constantly—ready to catch vandalism, bias, or harmful content within seconds. Vandalism on Wikipedia is typically reverted in minutes, if not seconds. Machine-learning systems also help by automatically flagging obvious problems, such as offensive slurs. Together, human and automated review make it very difficult for vandalism to go unnoticed.
Dispute resolution
When editors disagree about content, there are structured dispute resolution processes. Editors can seek additional opinions, involve third parties such as other volunteer editors, or formally request broader community input. These processes create space for collaboration and compromise—helping turn potential conflict into constructive problem-solving.
Administrators
On Wikipedia, some experienced volunteer editors are trusted with extra responsibilities—they’re known as Administrators, or simply “admins.” Elected by the community, admins have special technical permissions to step in when needed: they can block disruptive accounts, delete problematic pages, and enforce both content and behavioral policies. Most of the time, editors resolve issues collaboratively, but when conflicts can’t be settled, admins provide the balance of authority and trust that keeps Wikipedia running smoothly.
Article protection
Most articles are open for anyone to edit, but in cases of repeated vandalism or disruption, protection tools can temporarily limit who can make changes. Usually, this means only more experienced editors can update the page, giving space for thoughtful discussion and consensus-building before new edits go live. For example, an extended protection policy on English Wikipedia allows editors with at least 30 days of activity and 500 prior edits to make changes to protected pages. This level of protection doesn’t lock an article away—it simply raises the bar for participation, signaling that edits should come from contributors who understand Wikipedia’s content policies. This still allows others to discuss the content on the talk page. The goal is to slow things down, encourage thoughtful debate, and ensure policies of neutrality and reliable sourcing guide important changes.
Arbitration committee
At the highest level, some Wikipedias—including English Wikipedia—have an elected Arbitration Committee (ArbCom), made up of experienced volunteer contributors. Often compared to a “Supreme Court” of Wikipedia, this panel of trusted editors handles complex disputes about how Wikipedia contributors follow Wikipedia’s rigorous policies. All of ArbCom’s enforcement actions are logged publicly and can be appealed, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Research and improvement
Finally, Wikipedia’s openness makes it a rich subject for academic research. Hundreds of studies have been published on its quality, bias, and community governance. Because the entire site’s data is freely available, researchers can replicate findings, test assumptions, and suggest improvements. The Wikimedia Foundation supports such research because it helps identify challenges and provides evidence-based recommendations for the community of editors. The Wikimedia Foundation actively encourages this research to strengthen the encyclopedia over time.
An open door to make Wikipedia even better
No single layer is enough on its own. Together, these layers of protection create a resilient system that continuously protects and improves Wikipedia. At the heart of Wikipedia is its volunteer community: people who debate, learn, and work together to uphold the vision of a free and reliable encyclopedia for everyone. These volunteers also build on the layers of protection outlined in this post by customizing policies for different language communities (there are more than 300 language Wikipedias!).
As an online encyclopedia that is free for everyone, Wikipedia is more accessible than the often expensive bound books of the past. It has become one of the most reliable and trusted sources of knowledge in the world. Governed by standards that protect the integrity of information, it exists to serve the public interest—unlike any other platform of its scale on the internet.
Wikipedia seeks to inform, not to persuade or convince.
It has billions of readers, millions of supporters, and hundreds of thousands of volunteer contributors from across the United States and on every continent. Wikipedia is supported by people from more than 200 countries and Americans from all 50 states, who give an average donation of about fifteen dollars to support Wikipedia’s educational mission. This is a website that is designed for and owned by ordinary people.
Wikipedia is always improving. As the largest collaborative digital endeavor in human history, it is humble about its imperfections. Volunteers editors make and correct mistakes every single day. In fact, Wikipedia transparently shares examples of errors that have been made and corrected in the past. Editors meticulously discuss, debate, and integrate information from diverse sources and viewpoints in articles where a consensus is reached. Articles can still be changed with new reliable information or additional sources.
Wikipedia is also open for anyone to make it better. Research has shown that the highest quality articles are those with the most contributors and the most diverse viewpoints. The best way to improve Wikipedia is for individuals to get involved, edit by edit.
As we navigate an era where information is more contested than ever, Wikipedia offers a living example of what it takes to build trust at scale. Its systems show how openness, accountability, and collaboration can create knowledge that people around the world rely on every day.
This series will explain those systems, layer by layer, to share how Wikipedia really works and how it can inspire new standards for our times. By understanding these many forms of protection on Wikipedia, we can all start to imagine a future where trustworthy knowledge isn’t the exception online, but the expectation.
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