A leading British public relations company with links to the heart of government has been accused of secretly commissioning favourable changes to Wikipedia pages on behalf of its clients, in a practice known as 'black hat' editing.
The Investigation and Alleged 'Wikilaundering'
Portland Communications, a firm founded by Sir Keir Starmer's communications chief Tim Allan, has been linked to the covert operation. According to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), Portland outsourced Wikipedia edits to a network of editors, allegedly controlled by a contractor working on the company's behalf.
The investigation claims to have evidence of edits made between 2016 and 2024. From 2016 to 2021, many changes were reportedly executed by a company called Web3 Consulting, run by a consultant allegedly used by Portland for this purpose.
This practice, sometimes termed 'Wikilaundering', involves undisclosed paid advocacy and directly violates the terms of use set by The Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that supports the online encyclopedia.
Client Focus and Specific Edits
The TBIJ report states that some of the alleged edits were designed to improve the image of the state of Qatar in the lead-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. These edits allegedly sought to bury references to critical reporting.
Other subtle changes linked to the network included relegating negative information about clients beneath descriptions of their philanthropic work, or swapping out critical news references for more positive articles. In one instance, an intermediary allegedly removed suggestions that a billion-dollar philanthropy project of another Portland client had failed to achieve its mission.
Six former Portland employees involved in Qatar-related work reportedly told TBIJ that Wikipedia edits were a common request, with subcontractors hired to target pages related to the country's human rights record, particularly around World Cup stadium construction.
Portland's History and Industry Reaction
This is not the first time Portland has faced scrutiny over Wikipedia. In 2012, it was found to have made alterations for the brewer of Stella Artois, removing references on Wikipedia to the beer's unwanted 'wife beater' nickname. At the time, Portland said the changes were made openly and within Wikipedia's rules.
However, former employees told TBIJ that the firm subsequently began to contract out the edits. One source stated: "No one said: 'We should stop doing this'. The question was how we could keep doing it without getting caught."
The public relations industry officially frowns upon such practices. Guidelines from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) state that "intentional deceit and anonymous or incognito activities are breaches of professional codes of conduct." Portland is not a member of the CIPR.
In response to the allegations, a Portland spokesperson said: "Portland does not have a relationship with the firm mentioned and has a policy of strict adherence to the guidelines on all social media platforms." A current employee added: "If anyone who worked here in the past did this, they were foolish. For sure nobody does it today."
Network Blocked and Founder's Role
The TBIJ investigation claimed to identify a network of 26 Wikipedia accounts making the edits, linked to Web3 Consulting. All accounts in this network that were still active in 2024 have since been blocked by volunteer Wikipedia editors who investigated their activity.
Portland was founded in 2001 by Tim Allan, a former adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair. There is no suggestion he personally ordered or knew of the changes. He sold most of his shares in the company in 2012 and left the business in 2019. Allan, now the Executive Director of Communications in Downing Street, was contacted for comment.
Since taking up his government role in September, Allan has pushed for changes to journalists' access to Downing Street, scrapping one of the two daily briefings—a move criticised by political journalists as restricting scrutiny.
