Anonymous Wikipedia editors will 'lose trust'

Brands that were exposed last month for editing their own profiles on Wikipedia need to think more carefully about the ramifications of their actions, according to leading online PR experts.

An online tool called WikiScanner revealed that entries concerning organisations from the Labour Party to Disney to pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca, had been anonymously edited.

In one instance, an anonymous editor, traced to Labour's Millbank headquarters, removed a section on the rise of the career politician.

The deleted text originally read: "It is sometimes claimed that Labour Students has helped the rise of careerists within the party at the expense of more radical left-wingers."

Jamie Riddell, managing director of Noize, said: "It is fine for companies to go in and change bona fide facts, such as dates, but if they want to change consumer opinion anonymously then caution is required."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "I don't see the need to comment. The person was changing non-factual content."

Sam Decker, chief marketing officer of  ratings and reviews technology provider Bazaarvoice, claimed companies have not heeded the lessons of the past. "(They) are still trying to interfere with the consumer conversation. Customers want to make their own minds up about brands. It loses trust."

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