The block log: 20 years of content moderation on Wikipedia

This study examines two decades of user blocking on the English Wikipedia to understand how a volunteer-run, non-profit platform has adapted its content moderation practices in response to increasing visibility amid declining participation. Analyzing more than 20 million block log entries from 2004 to 2024, the study identifies shifts in block frequency, duration, and stated rationales. A significant increase in preemptive, automated blocking of open proxies since 2020 accounts for most block activity, but excluding these reveals a broader trend toward longer blocks and vaguer rationales such as “disruption.” These patterns suggest that volunteers are scaling labor through automation and normative adjustment, trading openness for efficiency and stability. Wikipedia’s blocking trends help to contextualize governance pressures on volunteer-run knowledge platforms.