When Wikipedia met Tor: trials of legitimacy at a key moment in internet history

Abstract

In 2005, the paths of Wikipedia and The Tor Project crossed publicly and ferociously. Tired of trolls and vandals, Wikipedia decided to block all Tor users from editing encyclopaedia articles. The Tor Project protested, arguing that such a block was not only ineffective, but constituted a form of censorship. This conflict came at a time when both projects were fighting to establish, maintain, and expand their perceived legitimacy. Using a threefold definition of “legitimacy,” this essay explores the Wikipedia/Tor conflict as a legitimacy conflict. We argue that Wikipedia was heavily invested in a conception of legitimacy as authenticity, focusing on who should be counted as a Wikipedian and who should be excluded. In contrast, the Tor Project was more concerned with Weberian legitimacy, challenging states’ claims to the monopoly of violent power. However, both projects shared an interest in acquiring resources and respect, or legitimacy as propriety. To explain this conflict, we draw on an archive of primary source emails and historical documents focusing on the early days (2001–2005) of both projects.