Wikipedia bans co-founder Larry Sanger indefinitely

Larry Sanger, a co-founder of Wikipedia, has been barred indefinitely from editing the site after a community vote concluded he violated its rules against canvassing. The ban, enacted on Monday, June 22, 2026, stems from Sanger's promotion of a proposed "WikiProject Intellectual Diversity" and his efforts to recruit supporters for it outside of Wikipedia's official channels.

The decision was finalized by Wikipedia's Arbitration Committee, which acts as a high court for the volunteer-run encyclopedia. In a note closing the discussion, a committee member stated there was general agreement that Sanger had engaged in off-wiki canvassing and was not participating to constructively build the encyclopedia. The committee also cited significant concern that his actions constituted calls for "outing," referring to the policy against posting another editor's personal information.

Sanger, who coined the name Wikipedia and helped draft its foundational rules, has long criticized the site for what he describes as a pervasive ideological bias. His proposed WikiProject aimed to reinforce the site's commitment to neutrality by making decision-making processes more transparent, expanding the...