Online sources such as Wikipedia not completely dependable: SC

New Delhi: Online sources such as Wikipedia are based on a crowd-sourced and user-generated editing model that is not completely dependable and can promote misleading information, the Supreme Court has said.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Vikram Nath said it acknowledged the utility of the platforms that provide free access to knowledge across the globe but also cautioned against using such sources for legal dispute resolution.

“We say so for the reason that these sources, despite being a treasure trove of knowledge, are based on a crowd-sourced and user-generated editing model that is not completely dependable in terms of academic veracity and can promote misleading information as has been noted by this court on previous occasions also,” the bench said on Tuesday.