We protect users’ privacy and speech. We educate governments and policymakers about the importance of the free and open internet. Regardless of location or circumstance, everyone has the right to seek and share knowledge.
01
Protecting the right to speak and learn freely
We shape public policy that opens access to free online knowledge around the globe. Government imposed censorship and overzealous copyright laws should not stand in the way of international knowledge-sharing.
02
Defending free expression
Last year we received 684 takedown requests and granted zero. Governments and individuals often ask us to change project content or share information about our users. We push back when these requests could harm users’ rights. We tell you about these requests in our Transparency Report.
03
Standing up for our users
We help contributors respond to legal threats relating to their work on Wikimedia projects. We have joined legal efforts like the opposition to the 2017 US travel ban. We are suing the United States National Security Agency, challenging their mass surveillance of Wikimedia users and contributors.
04
Supporting community voices
Volunteer contributors take the lead on editorial decisions. Our public policy efforts and research initiatives focus on maintaining the legal protections that make that possible.
5 million
new articles in 2017
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Questions about the Wikimedia Foundation's public policy efforts? Get in touch with our public policy team.
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ELSEWHERE IN WIKIMEDIA — مكان أخر في ويكيميديا
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Policies on access to knowledge, censorship, copyright, intermediary liability, and privacy directly affect the vibrancy of Wikimedia projects.
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As a nonprofit, Wikipedia and our related free knowledge projects are powered primarily through donations.
Photo credits
Frankfurt Am Main-Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen-Detail-Justitia von Nordwesten-20110411
Roland Meinecke
CC BY-NC-ND 3.0
Felix, Satdeep, Stalinjeet and Manavpreet at Wikimedia Conference 2017
Jason Krüger for Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.
CC BY-SA 4.0
