Swedish parliament behind Wikipedia celebrity smears
Actor George Clooney is a "communist amateur" and Swedish actress and comedian Nour El-Refai is a "feminist bitch", according to someone, or several people, using computers traced to the Riksdag.
The revelations came as part of an investigation by TV8's “Aschberg” current affairs television programme into changes made to entries on the Swedish version of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
A total of 55 changes could be traced via IP numbers to computers housed in the Swedish parliament and at the offices of Swedish political parties.
Aschberg's report also found that most of the changes were made during business hours.
Someone from the Moderates has repeatedly removed information pertaining to liquor-soaked parties organized by the party's youth wing, MUF, in an effort to attract new members.
In addition, articles reporting that the Left Party's youth wing, Ung Vänster, had inflated their membership statistics have been removed no less than five times.
Information about Christian Democratic politician Ella Bohlin's past membership in Livets Ord ('Word of Life'), a conservative evangelical religious organization, has also been removed by someone using a computer at Christian Democratic party headquarters.
Over and above these embellishments and touch ups, however, a pure smear campaign targeting a number of celebrities has been traced to parliament computers.
Amongst other choice remarks, one individual has written on the Swedish language version of Wikipedia that Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a “brash and arrogant playing style”, later adding that the footballer also has a criminal background.
Another famous hockey player has been accused of rape and labeled an “amateur”.
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The revelations came as part of an investigation by TV8's “Aschberg” current affairs television programme into changes made to entries on the Swedish version of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
A total of 55 changes could be traced via IP numbers to computers housed in the Swedish parliament and at the offices of Swedish political parties.
Aschberg's report also found that most of the changes were made during business hours.
Someone from the Moderates has repeatedly removed information pertaining to liquor-soaked parties organized by the party's youth wing, MUF, in an effort to attract new members.
In addition, articles reporting that the Left Party's youth wing, Ung Vänster, had inflated their membership statistics have been removed no less than five times.
Information about Christian Democratic politician Ella Bohlin's past membership in Livets Ord ('Word of Life'), a conservative evangelical religious organization, has also been removed by someone using a computer at Christian Democratic party headquarters.
Over and above these embellishments and touch ups, however, a pure smear campaign targeting a number of celebrities has been traced to parliament computers.
Amongst other choice remarks, one individual has written on the Swedish language version of Wikipedia that Swedish football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a “brash and arrogant playing style”, later adding that the footballer also has a criminal background.
Another famous hockey player has been accused of rape and labeled an “amateur”.
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