Legal:MediaWiki pingback privacy statement

This statement describes how and when Wikimedia collects, uses, and shares the information we receive from the MediaWiki Pingback feature.

Purpose of Feature

This feature helps us understand more about which versions of MediaWiki are in use, and on what platforms.

What Information We Collect

The pingback anonymously tracks which version of MediaWiki is being used, along with the configured database type and PHP version, as well as your operating system, system type (32-bit or 64-bit), machine hardware, server software, and memory limit. The feature also sends a unique ID with the data transmission, which is used to track upgrades made to wikis over time.

You may view your wiki’s ID after a pingback is sent by running the following SQL command:

SELECT * FROM updatelog WHERE ul_key="PingBack";

You can delete the ID by running the following SQL command.

DELETE FROM updatelog WHERE ul_key="PingBack":

If you delete it, a new unique ID will be generated the next time a pingback is sent. However, please note that deleting the ID could cause your instance of MediaWiki to be counted twice, thereby affecting decisions made based on the data.  

How to Enable or Disable the Pingback

The web installer asks the user if they want to enable the feature during the installation of MediaWiki. The user may choose at this time to opt out of the pingback. If the user opts in,  the pingback feature will send new data on the first page load after upgrading to a new version of MediaWiki. Users may choose to disable the pingback at any time by setting the $wgPingback configuration variable to false in LocalSettings.php. However, this will not delete any data that has already been transmitted to our servers.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

Raw individual data collected from this feature will not be shared publicly, though aggregated, de-identified data may be made available, as discussed in this Phabricator ticket. The raw data will be accessible to Wikimedia staff and contractors. Volunteers and researchers may apply for access, as well. Everyone who can access the data will be subject to non-disclosure obligations with the exception of the circumstances described below.

We may disclose any collected information when required by law, when we have your permission, when needed to protect our rights, privacy, safety, users, or the general public, and when necessary to enforce our Terms of Use or any other Wikimedia policy.

Important Information

Wikimedia is a global organization committed to promoting free and open knowledge. By using this tool, you agree to the transfer, storage, and use of the collected information to the United States and other places as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and objectives discussed above. You also consent to the transfer of information from the U.S. to other countries, which may have different or less stringent data protection laws than your country, in order to carry out the aforementioned purposes and objectives.

Wikimedia understands the importance of user privacy. For this reason, we work to protect our users from the unauthorized disclosure or use of information we maintain. The data collected through this feature will be stored indefinitely, in order to observe trends and patterns over time. See our data retention guidelines for more information.

Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this Privacy Statement and a translation, the original English version takes precedence.