
Wikipedia needs local journalism and the open Web
Over the past couple of months, many who are interested in internet policy have been watching developments in Australia, where a proposed Mandatory Bargaining Code will force some internet platforms to pay for linking to content by news publishers and displaying snippets thereof. While it isn’t entirely clear yet what services will be covered by….

China blocks Wikimedia Foundation’s accreditation to World Intellectual Property Organization
China yesterday blocked the Wikimedia Foundation’s application for observer status at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the United Nations (UN) organization that develops international treaties on copyright, IP, trademarks, patents and related issues. As a result of the block, the Foundation’s application for observer status has been suspended and will be reconsidered at a….

New Chinese national security law in Hong Kong could limit the privacy of Wikipedia users
The Wikimedia Foundation is extremely concerned about the national security law recently passed in China and implemented in Hong Kong that prohibits a broad range of speech and grants wide-ranging surveillance powers to authorities. This law may have serious implications for protection of the privacy of users on Wikipedia and other projects operated by the….

İki buçuk yıldan uzun zamanın ardından Türkiye’den Wikipedia’ya erişim açıldı
Bugün, Wikipedia’nın 19. doğum gününde, Wikimedia Vakfı Türkiye’den Wikipedia’ya erişimin yeniden açılmakta olduğuna ilişkin haberler aldı.* Bu son gelişme, Anayasa Mahkemesi’nin Türkiye yetkililerinin iki buçuk yıldan uzun süren engelini 26 Aralık 2019 kararı ile anayasaya aykırı bulmasının ardından gerçekleşti. Bugün erken saatlerde Anayasa Mahkemesi kararın tam metnini kamuya açık olarak paylaştı, hemen ardından Wikipedia’ya erişimin….

Access to Wikipedia restored in Turkey after more than two and a half years
Today, on Wikipedia’s 19th birthday, the Wikimedia Foundation has received reports that access to Wikipedia in Turkey is actively being restored.* This latest development follows a 26 December 2019 ruling by the Constitutional Court of Turkey that the more than two and a half year block imposed by the Turkish government was unconstitutional. Earlier today,….

India’s proposed intermediary liability rules could limit everyone’s access to information online
Honorable Minister Prasad: I am writing today on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation to express our concerns regarding the Ministry’s proposed changes to the intermediary liability rules and its negative impact on access to knowledge and participation for Indians online. The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit that hosts and operates Wikipedia, along with a number….

Türkiye Anayasa Mahkemesi, Vikipedi’nin iki buçuk yıllık engelinin anayasaya aykırı olduğuna karar verdi
Anayasa Mahkemesi bugün, Türkiye’de iki buçuk yıldan fazladır süren Vikipedi’ye erişim engelinin anayasaya aykırı olduğuna hükmetti. Türkiye’nin en yüksek mahkemesinin aldığı bu yeni karar ışığında Türkiye’de erişimin yakında yeniden sağlanacağını ve engelin kalktığına dair güncel bilgi aldığımızda bu bildiriyi yeniden güncellemeyi umuyoruz. Bilgiye evrensel erişime verilen bu önemli onayı memnuniyetle karşılama hususunda Türk halkına, ve….

Turkish Constitutional Court rules that the two and a half year block of Wikipedia is unconstitutional
Today, the Turkish Constitutional Court has held that the more than two and a half year access ban of Wikipedia in Turkey was unconstitutional. We hope that access will be restored in Turkey soon in the light of this new ruling from Turkey’s highest court and will update this statement if we receive notification that….

Why the Wikimedia Foundation has not signed on to the Contract for the Web
In November 2019, Tim Berners-Lee and the Web Foundation launched the Contract for the Web, a set of rules designed to address the challenges facing digital communication and participation— from threats to online privacy and security to connectivity and digital inclusion. The multi-stakeholder effort outlines nine principles for governments, companies and citizens designed to safeguard….

District Court rules for government in Wikimedia Foundation’s mass surveillance case against the NSA
Update: On February 14, 2020, the Wikimedia Foundation filed a notice of appeal in this case before the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. We respectfully disagree with the District Court’s ruling, and believe that information in the public domain shows that the NSA is using Upstream surveillance to copy and search Wikimedia’s communications.….