A high-profile public relations company founded by a key aide to Labour leader Keir Starmer has been accused of commissioning favourable changes to Wikipedia pages on behalf of its clients.
An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) has uncovered evidence that Portland Communications, founded by Tim Allan, allegedly outsourced the editing of Wikipedia pages to improve the online image of some of its high-profile clients, including the state of Qatar.
Between 2016 and 2024, a network of editors, reportedly controlled by a contractor working for Portland, made numerous changes to Wikipedia pages. These changes were allegedly designed to bury critical reporting, particularly in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, and to relegate unfavourable information about clients’ philanthropic efforts.
The practice, known as “black hat” editing, violates the terms of use set out by the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation that supports the online encyclopedia. Guidelines from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) also state that “intentional deceit and anonymous or incognito activities are breaches of professional codes of conduct.”
Portland has a history of making Wikipedia edits, having previously been found to have altered pages on behalf of the company that produces Stella Artois, removing references to an unwanted nickname. At the time, the firm claimed the changes had been made openly and within Wikipedia’s rules.
However, former employees have told TBIJ that Portland began to contract out the editing of Wikipedia pages, with one stating: “No one said: ‘We should stop doing this’. The question was how we could keep doing it without getting caught.”
Several sources have claimed that Portland commissioned a web consultant, Radek Kotlarek, whose network of accounts made the alleged Wikipedia changes. TBIJ says it has identified a network of 26 accounts linked to Kotlarek’s company, Web3 Consulting, that were responsible for the edits.
Allan, who is now Downing Street’s executive director of communications as part of Starmer’s attempt at a government-wide reset, has faced controversy over his appointment. He retains a financial stake in another PR firm, Strand Partners, but has said he will not take dividends or become involved in running the company while in government.
The revelations about Portland’s alleged manipulation of Wikipedia pages are likely to raise further questions about the PR industry’s approach to online reputation management and the need for greater transparency and accountability in the digital age.