Category: Legal

The U.S. Supreme Court today denied the Wikimedia Foundation’s petition for review of its legal challenge to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) “Upstream” surveillance program. Under this program, the NSA systematically searches the contents of internet traffic entering and leaving the United States, including Americans’ private emails, messages, and web communications.

On Friday, February 3, 2023, Pakistan’s Telecommunications Authority blocked Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects. The Wikimedia Foundation calls on Pakistan to restore access to Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects in the country immediately.

Цей пост також доступний українською мовою.Этот пост также доступен на русском языке. On 22 November 2022, a Moscow Court rejected a case filed by the Wikimedia Foundation (“Foundation”) challenging a court verdict to impose a fine on the Foundation for failing to remove “prohibited” information from the Russian Wikipedia article about the Russian Invasion of….

The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court today to review a challenge to the National Security Agency’s (NSA) mass surveillance of Americans’ private emails, internet messages, and web communications with people overseas, also known as its “Upstream” surveillance program. In its petition, Wikimedia asks the Court to reject the….

Through a historic vote on 21 July 2022, the Wikimedia Foundation was granted accreditation by the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Council (ECOSOC). The Foundation  thanks the cosponsors of the corresponding resolution that was proposed by the United States, Italy, Sweden, and Estonia earlier this week, and all the ECOSOC members who voted for it. ….

The Wikimedia Foundation welcomes yesterday’s decision of the United States, Italy, Sweden, and Estonia to introduce, with broad cross-regional support from other member states, a resolution asking the UN’s Economic and Social Affairs Council (ECOSOC) to grant accreditation to the Wikimedia Foundation and five other NGOs: Inimõiguste Instituut (Estonia), Syrian American Medical Society (US), National….

Geneva, Switzerland — Today, seven Wikimedia chapters—independent Wikimedia movement affiliate organizations—were rejected from gaining accreditation as permanent observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Several of WIPO’s accredited observers, including Communia, Creative Commons, Education International, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, as well as organizations such as Internet Archive, showed their support for….

On 6 June 2022, the Wikimedia Foundation filed an appeal to challenge a Moscow Court’s decision that the Foundation committed an administrative offense by failing to remove “prohibited” information on Wikipedia, largely related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In its appeal, the Wikimedia Foundation argues that information on Wikipedia should be protected by freedom….

Geneva, Switzerland — Today, six Wikimedia chapters—independent Wikimedia movement affiliate organizations—were rejected from gaining accreditation to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). WIPO is the specialized United Nations (UN) agency that determines global policies on copyright, patents, and trademarks. The Wikimedia chapters of France, Germany, Italy, Mexico,….

Today, the European Court of Human Rights announced that it is dismissing the Wikimedia Foundation’s 2019 petition to lift the block of Wikipedia in Turkey. The case was dismissed because access to Wikipedia was restored by the Turkish government in January 2020 and the block was already determined to be a human rights violation in….