A photo of Helen Clark on the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia has been "protected" to prevent people editing her listing, and Ministry of Justice staff have been detected using Government computers to alter other entries.
The popular website can be edited by anyone with access to the internet, which
opens the door for users to make articles less factual and more opinionated.
WikiScanner, which identifies who is behind page edits, reveals five page edits that trace back to Justice Ministry computers. A ministry spokesman could not be contacted last night.
Two changes made in June inserted the line "it is the worst movie ever made" into text for articles about movies from the Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Another two edits added information to an article about English band Echo & the Bunnymen.
The Wikipedia entry for Prime Minister Helen Clark is now protected after several fake edits.
Among the changes from New Zealand-based computers was an edit that said Helen Clark was "once called 'Horris Edwards Clark' but had a sex change after being teased at school most her life".
Captions were also added to the Prime Minister's airbrushed photo, including: "Note that this photograph has been modified to hide Ms Clark's harsh features", and "It should be noted that this picture has been digitally modified - it is NOT a realistic photographic image of what this person looks like".
The edits have since been removed.
Changes to Wikipedia articles have caused an outcry in Australia. This week Prime Minister John Howard denied ordering Government staff to alter articles so they reflect more favourably on his Government.
WikiScanner revealed that people using Australian Government computer servers had made thousands of changes to Wikipedia articles.
The Australian Defence Department has since blocked employees from altering information on Wikipedia after 5035 edits by defence staff were detected.
Among edited articles were those relating to the "children overboard" affair and the Australian Defence Force Academy, and a removed reference to Treasurer Peter Costello's nickname, Captain Smirk.
