Category: Press Release

The Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that operates Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects, announced the winner of its global Sound of All Human Knowledge contest, ending the search for a sound logo for Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects.

Yesterday, the Wikimedia Foundation was rejected for accreditation to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). The accreditation was once again blocked by China, marking the fourth time that China has raised objections to the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia affiliate groups participating in WIPO.

The Wikimedia Foundation announced Stephen LaPorte as General Counsel. Stephen was previously Deputy General Counsel at the Foundation; he has held several leadership roles in the Legal department, covering a range of legal issues including copyright, trademarks, governance, and public policy.

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.

Wikimedia Enterprise announced its first customers: multinational technology company Google and nonprofit digital library Internet Archive. Wikimedia Enterprise was recently launched by the Wikimedia Foundation as an opt-in product.

8 October 2021, San Francisco, California — The Wikimedia Foundation today announced the appointment of two new Vice Presidents: Anusha Alikhan as Vice President of Communications, and Margeigh Novotny as Vice President of Product Design. The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that supports Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. With this news, both Anusha….

14 September 2021, San Francisco, California — Today, the Board of Trustees of the Wikimedia Foundation announced the appointment of Maryana Iskander as the organization’s new CEO. She is a globally recognized social entrepreneur and an expert in building cross-sector partnerships that combine innovative technology with community-led solutions to close opportunity gaps.   As CEO of….

February 4, 2021. Katherine Maher, the Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, the global nonprofit that operates Wikipedia, will be leaving the organization in April. Under her leadership, Wikipedia attained its highest public trust in the institution’s history. Since becoming CEO in 2016, Katherine defined an expansive strategic direction for Wikimedia’s next decade, significantly….

Update: On March 14, 2020, the Wikimedia Foundation announced new measures to support employees and protect general public health amid COVID-19. As part of these operational actions, we have: Closed both Foundation offices in San Francisco and Washington, DC, until at least March 31, 2020. All staff are now working remotely.  Shifted to a reduced….

The Wikimedia Foundation is excited to announce $2.5 million in support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies that will help to ensure the security of Wikipedia, as well as the organization’s other sites and global community of volunteers. At a time of increased cybersecurity threats, this philanthropic investment from the organization of craigslist founder Craig Newmark will….