Matt Mullenweg, WordPress, and the Battle for Control of the Internet

When one man holds significant influence over 40% of the internet, controversies are inevitable.

Matt Mullenweg, the co-founder of WordPress, finds himself at the center of a storm following a heated clash with WP Engine, a major WordPress hosting provider.

This isn’t just another tech squabble—it’s a high-stakes battle over control, power, and the future of the open-source internet.

Let’s dive into the details of this feud and what it reveals about the delicate balance between community ideals and centralized authority.

The Feud: WordPress vs. WP Engine

In September 2024, Mullenweg didn’t hold back. He publicly called WP Engine a “cancer” on the WordPress ecosystem, accusing the company of benefiting from WordPress without contributing enough to its open-source project.

His frustration stemmed from what he saw as WP Engine’s profit-driven exploitation of WordPress’s brand and infrastructure.

The response from WP Engine was swift and sharp—a cease and desist letter accusing Mullenweg of defamation.

But instead of backing down, Mullenweg took a bold step: he blocked WP Engine customers from accessing WordPress updates. This move left countless websites vulnerable, cutting them off from essential security and performance updates.

This dramatic show of power shocked many in the WordPress community. It raised uncomfortable questions:

How much control should one individual or company have over a platform that underpins so much of the internet? And is this kind of unilateral action compatible with WordPress’s open-source ethos?

Open Source, Centralized Power?

WordPress has always marketed itself as a champion of open-source values: community collaboration, transparency, and decentralization. But the WP Engine controversy exposes the tension between those ideals and the realities of managing a massive, global platform.

Mullenweg’s defenders argue that his actions were necessary to safeguard WordPress’s integrity. They view WP Engine as a company profiting from the platform without giving back to the community—a violation of the spirit of open source.

However, critics see Mullenweg’s response as an overreach, pointing to the risks of concentrating so much power in the hands of one person or organization.

This isn’t the first time questions about control have surfaced. With Automattic, the company Mullenweg runs, holding significant influence over WordPress development, some worry that the platform’s governance is increasingly centralized, even as it claims to be community-driven.

Why It Matters

This isn’t just an internal WordPress issue—it’s a reflection of broader challenges facing the internet. With WordPress powering nearly half of all websites, decisions made by Mullenweg and Automattic have an outsized impact on the online world. A single decision can ripple out to affect millions of businesses, blogs, and online services.

The controversy also raises critical questions about the future of open-source projects. Can they maintain their collaborative spirit as they scale? Or does the need for leadership and accountability inevitably lead to centralized control?

The Bigger Picture

Matt Mullenweg’s clash with WP Engine isn’t just a personal dispute; it’s a pivotal moment for the WordPress ecosystem and the internet at large. As WordPress continues to dominate, its leader’s decisions will shape not only the platform’s future but also the structure of the web itself.

Is Mullenweg a visionary protecting WordPress from exploitation, or does his control pose a risk to the open-source ideals the platform was built on? The answer may not be clear, but one thing is certain: the battle for control of the internet is far from over.

Alex Harper

Alex Harper is a web designer and UX specialist with 8+ years of experience creating intuitive, user-friendly digital experiences. Known for blending creativity with functionality, Alex helps brands turn ideas into seamless designs that engage and inspire.