The department’s research agency was used to alter a Wikipedia page entry about the Joint Strike Fighter jet and the decision to spend as much as $18 billion on the aircraft. The edits included the removal of information critical of the government’s plan to buy the jets and the addition of insulting comments aimed at Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.
Wikipedia traced the edits to computers owned by Defence Research Development Canada’s Ottawa offices. Wikipedia then locked down the entry, labelled the changes as vandalism and only allowed recognized editors to work on the page.
In one entry, all information outlining the criticism of the jets and the plan to buy them was removed. In another, someone added that Ignatieff thought the deal to buy the planes for Canada was an “awesome, amazing decision to proceed with this contract.” In reality, Ignatieff has been critical of the sole-source contract, calling for a reconvening of the defence committee to examine the decision.
See: CBC
