We champion everyone’s right to free knowledge online.
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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.
Protecting the right to speak and learn freely
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We advocate for public policy that opens access to free knowledge. We oppose government-imposed censorship and overzealous copyright laws, and we defend people’s right to share knowledge globally.
Defending free expression
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Governments and individuals often ask us to remove or 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.
Standing up for our users
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We help contributors respond to legal and policy threats relating to their work on Wikimedia projects. For example, we are suing the United States National Security Agency, challenging their mass surveillance of Wikimedia readers and contributors. In 2022, we advocated for changes to Chile’s draft bill on digital platform regulation.
Supporting the Wikimedia movement and other partners
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Volunteer contributors take the lead on setting and enforcing content rules. Our sponsorships and research initiatives support the Wikimedia movement, civil society, and academic partners working to maintain a policy and legal environment that protects community-run free knowledge projects.
Speaking up for free knowledge and access to an open internet
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We stand for the right of everyone, everywhere to participate in free knowledge. In early 2022, when sanctions were imposed against the Russian government for invading Ukraine, we worked with our partners to make sure the Russian people could continue to access the open internet.
Fighting legal battles to make free knowledge possible
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Access to knowledge around the world is under constant attack. At Wikimedia, we work to give access to knowledge to everyone, for free, forever. We go to court to fight against censorship and promote open licenses to ensure our materials can be used and revised globally.
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News — Noticias
![](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/United_Nations_Economic_and_Social_Council_chamber_New_York_City_2.jpg?w=800&h=600&crop=1)
Wikimedia Foundation welcomes strong support for accreditation to UN ECOSOC
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….
![Front view of the WIPO Conference Hall](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Front_view_of_the_WIPO_Conference_Hall_1.jpeg?w=800&h=600&crop=1)
Seven Wikimedia chapters rejected as permanent observers to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
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….
Help us unlock the world’s knowledge.
As a nonprofit, Wikipedia and our related free knowledge projects are powered primarily through donations.
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Photo credits
![Front view of the WIPO Conference Hall](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Front_view_of_the_WIPO_Conference_Hall_1.jpeg?w=63)
![Wikimedia Foundation SOPA meeting](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Wikimedia_Foundation_SOPA_War_Room_Meeting_1-17-2012-1-9-e1533254929224.jpg?w=63)
![Cover of Wikimedia Foundation transparency report](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Transparency_Report_1-e1565971921744.jpg?w=63)
![](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/frankfurt_am_main-gerechtigkeitsbrunnen-detail-justitia_von_nordwesten-20110411-cropped-1024px.jpg?w=63)
![](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Felix_Satdeep_Stalinjeet_and_Manavpreet_at_Wikimedia_Conference_2017-e1532738694295.jpg?w=63)
Felix, Satdeep, Stalinjeet and Manavpreet at Wikimedia Conference 2017
Jason Krüger for Wikimedia Deutschland e.V.
![Wikipedia promotional video](https://webcf.waybackmachine.org/web/20220722043224im_/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/supertodada_video_excerpt-e1565971784965.png?w=63)
Wikipedia promotional video - Superdotada
Wikimedia Mexico, ISLA, NatalyPop, and the Wikimedia Foundation