Editing Guinness World Records (section)

==Defining records==
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 | footer    = [[Chandra Bahadur Dangi]] from Nepal,
measuring 1 ft 9 1⁄2 in (54.6 cm), is recognised as the world's shortest man ever, while the tallest is [[Robert Wadlow]] from the United States, at {{convert|8|ft|11|in|m}}, both verified by ''Guinness World Records''.
 | align     = right
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 | image1    = Chandra_04.jpg
 | width1    = 117
 | image2    = Robert Wadlow postcard.jpg
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}}

For many records, ''Guinness World Records'' is the effective authority on the exact requirements for them and with whom records reside, the company providing adjudicators to events to determine the veracity of record attempts. The list of records which the ''Guinness World Records'' covers is not fixed, records may be added and also removed for various reasons. The public is invited to submit applications for records, which can be either the bettering of existing records or substantial achievements which could constitute a new record.<ref name="faq">{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/faq.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120124172127/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/faq.aspx |archive-date=24 January 2012 |access-date=10 February 2012 |publisher=Guinness World Records}}</ref> The company also provides corporate services for companies to "harness the power of record-breaking to deliver tangible success for their businesses."<ref name="corporate">{{Cite web |title=Guinness World Records Corporate |url=http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512021154/http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/ |archive-date=12 May 2012 |access-date=10 May 2012 |publisher=Guinness World Records}}</ref>

===Ethical and safety issues===
[[File:Guinness Beer Record 1977.jpg|right|thumb|Steven Petrosino drinking 1 litre of beer in 1.3 seconds in June 1977.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2004 |title=Guinness World Beer Record |url=http://www.beerrecord.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211213237/http://www.beerrecord.com/ |archive-date=11 February 2010 |access-date=10 February 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Raine |first=Jonathan |date=1 September 2006 |title=Steven Petrosino Chugs |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbX33Zkl9Nw |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131051136/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbX33Zkl9Nw |archive-date=31 January 2011 |access-date=29 April 2007 |website=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> Petrosino set record times for 250 ml, 500 ml and 1.5 litres as well, but Guinness accepted only the record for one litre. They later dropped all alcohol records from their compendium in 1991, then reinstated the records in 2008.]]
''Guinness World Records'' states several types of records it will not accept for ethical reasons, such as those related to the killing or harming of animals.<ref name="isitarecord">{{Cite web |title=Is Your Proposal a Potential Guinness World Records™ Achievement? |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/is-it-a-record/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120504015421/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/is-it-a-record/ |archive-date=4 May 2012 |access-date=10 May 2012 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> In the 2006 ''Guinness Book of World Records'', Colombian serial killer [[Pedro López (serial killer)|Pedro López]] was listed as the "most prolific serial killer", having murdered at least 110 people (with Lopez himself claiming he murdered over 300 people) in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in the late 1960s to 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Most Prolific Serial Killer |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-prolific-serial-killer |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150216093053/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/most-prolific-serial-killer |archive-date=16 February 2015 |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref> This was removed after complaints that the listing and category made a competition out of murder.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Regier |first=Willis Goth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k5FY0LJL6NkC |title=In Praise of Flattery |date=November 2007 |publisher=U of Nebraska Press |isbn=978-0803239692 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>

Several world records that were once included in the book have been removed for ethical reasons, including concerns for the well-being of potential record breakers. For example, following publication of the "heaviest pet" record, many owners overfed their pets beyond the bounds of what was healthy, and therefore such entries were removed.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Junk Food Diet Fuels Epidemic of Pet Obesity |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jul/20/animalwelfare.animalbehaviour |access-date=31 May 2024 |work=The Guardian}}</ref> The Guinness Book also dropped records within their "eating and drinking records" section of Human Achievements in 1991 over concerns that potential competitors could harm themselves and expose the publisher to potential [[lawsuit|litigation]].<ref name="discontinue" /> These changes included the removal of all [[distilled beverage|spirit]], wine and beer drinking records, along with other unusual records for consuming such unlikely things as bicycles and trees.<ref name="discontinue">{{Cite book |title=Guinness Book of World Records |year=1990 |page=464}}</ref> Other records, such as [[sword swallowing]] and rally driving (on public roads), were closed from further entry as the current holders had performed beyond what are considered safe human tolerance levels.
There have been instances of closed categories being reopened. For example, the sword swallowing category was listed as closed in the 1990 ''Guinness Book of World Records'', but has since been reopened with [[Johnny Strange]] breaking a sword swallowing record on Guinness World Records Live.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Pengelly |first=Emma |date=29 February 2020 |title=Surrey's Wackiest World Records and How You Can Set Your Own |url=https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/weird-wacky-surrey-guinness-world-17824947 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301215007/https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/weird-wacky-surrey-guinness-world-17824947 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |access-date=1 March 2020 |work=Surreylive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=30 January 2017 |title=Daring Record Holder Johnny Strange Adds to His Collection of Titles with Scary Sword Swallowing Feat |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/1/daring-record-holder-johnny-strange-adds-to-his-collection-of-titles-460468 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903200732/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2017/1/daring-record-holder-johnny-strange-adds-to-his-collection-of-titles-460468 |archive-date=3 September 2018 |access-date=1 March 2020 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-GB}}</ref> Similarly, the speed beer drinking records which were dropped from the book in 1991, reappeared 17 years later in the 2008 edition, but were moved from the "Human Achievements" section of the older book<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2004 |title=Guinness World Record Book Entry |url=http://www.beerrecord.com/guinnessbook.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112083811/http://www.beerrecord.com/guinnessbook.htm |archive-date=12 January 2012 |access-date=10 February 2012 |website=Guinness World Beer Record}}</ref> to the "Modern Society" section of the newer edition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 June 2004 |title=Guinness World Record Book Entry 2008 |url=http://www.beerrecord.com/guinnessbook_2008.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112083947/http://www.beerrecord.com/guinnessbook_2008.htm |archive-date=12 January 2012 |access-date=10 February 2012 |website=Guinness World Beer Record}}</ref>

{{As of|2011}}, it is required in the guidelines of all "large food" type records that the item be fully edible, and distributed to the public for consumption, to prevent food wastage.<ref name=faq/> [[Chain letter]]s are also not allowed: "Guinness World Records does not accept any records relating to chain letters, sent by post or e-mail."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/faqs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220322040209/https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/faqs |archive-date=22 March 2022 |access-date=17 March 2022 |website=Guinness World Records |language=en-gb}}</ref> After [[Roger Guy English]] set the record for [[sleeplessness]] in 1974, the category was discontinued for being too dangerous.<ref name=":23" /><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Brandt |first=Angela |date=18 November 2021 |title=Poway Man Who Relishes a Challenge, No Matter How Crazy, Inspires Documentary and a Beer |url=https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/story/2021-11-17/poway-man-inspires-documentary-beer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118033629/https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/story/2021-11-17/poway-man-inspires-documentary-beer |archive-date=18 November 2021 |access-date=5 May 2024 |website=Pomerado News |language=en-US}}</ref> At the request of the [[U.S. Mint]], in 1984, the book stopped accepting claims of large hoardings of pennies or other currency.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Guinness Book of World Records |year=1984 |page=428}}</ref> Environmentally unfriendly records (such as the releasing of [[sky lanterns]] and [[party balloons]]) are no longer accepted or monitored, in addition to records relating to [[tobacco]] or [[cannabis]] consumption or preparation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Record Policies |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/record-policies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210512085629/https://guinnessworldrecords.com/records/record-policies |archive-date=12 May 2021 |access-date=18 May 2021}}</ref>

In 2024, Guinness World Records was accused of laundering the reputation of the oppressive governments as it set world records for the UAE's police forces and Egypt's military. By 2024, the UAE achieved 526 records, of which 21 were credited to the Emirates' police force. Matthew Hedges, a British academic who was forced to sign a false confession, asked the records body to take down the Abu Dhabi police department's certificate for "most signatures on a scroll", along with other such titles. Concerns were also raised around the activities around Egypt, which moved from 22 records to 110 within a decade until 2024. James Lynch, co-founder of FairSquare, said the records were legitimising Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's regime. The Guinness World Records stated that its record titles "cannot be purchased".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Malvern |first1=Jack |last2=Willoughby |first2=George |date=24 March 2024 |title=Guinness World Records Accused of Whitewashing Repressive Regimes' Images |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/guinness-world-records-accused-of-whitewashing-repressive-regimes-images-9bmrg9p6c |access-date=27 March 2024 |work=The Sunday Times}}</ref>

Guinness World Records has been accused of romanticizing diseases, such as Grave's Disease and Pica.<ref name="diseases">{{cite web |last1=Yudin |first1=Eli |title=5 Guinness World Records That Are Just Diseases |url=https://www.cracked.com/article_39392_5-guinness-world-records-that-are-just-diseases.html |website=Cracked.com |language=en |date=7 September 2023}}</ref>

===Difficulty in defining records===
For some potential categories, ''Guinness World Records'' has declined to list some records that are too difficult or impossible to determine. For example, its website states: "We do not accept any claims for beauty as it is not [[Objectivity (science)|objectively]] measurable."<ref name=isitarecord/>

On 10 December 2010, ''Guinness World Records'' stopped accepting submissions for the "[[dreadlock]]" category after investigation of its first and only female title holder, Asha Mandela, determining it was impossible to judge this record accurately.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Longest Dreadlock Record&nbsp;– Rested |url=http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-Dreadlock-Record-Rested/BLOG/3083932/7691.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005033245/http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Longest-Dreadlock-Record-Rested/BLOG/3083932/7691.html |archive-date=5 October 2011 |access-date=4 November 2011 |publisher=Community.guinnessworldrecords.com}}</ref>