Latest news with #WikimediaFoundation
Daily Maverick
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Maverick
Power Chat – Maryana Iskander on trust, technology, and the future of Wikipedia
In this episode of Power Chat, Ferial Haffajee speaks with Maryana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, about Wikipedia's critical role in the digital information ecosystem. From the platform's symbiotic relationship with tech giants to the legal and community frameworks that protect it, Maryana offers a candid look into the future of free knowledge. 01:15 Maintaining Trust in Wikipedia 03:00 Era of Disinformation 06:47 Wikipedia's Role in the AI Age 08:31 Wikipedia's Symbiotic Relationship with Tech Giants 15:45 Wikipedia's Legal and Community Support 23:20 Efforts to Close the Gender Gap 26:22 Wikipedia's Global Volunteer Community 33:29 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Fast Company
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
Wikipedia wants you to wear your love for an open internet on your sleeve
If you've always wanted to donate to Wikipedia but needed an extra nudge to do so, a new capsule collection by the German fashion brand Armedangels could be that reason. To mark Wikipedia's forthcoming 25th anniversary next year, Armedangels designed a 14-piece collection that turns design features from the Wikipedia user interface and experience into brand elements. Its signature bright cobalt blue, called 'hyperlink blue,' is a key color, along with white and yellow core colors. One design, featured on a T-shirt and sweatshirt, uses an iconic 1972 image of Earth called 'Blue Marble' that was taken during the Apollo 17 mission and is in the public domain. A text excerpt from 'The Blue Marble' Wikipedia page is below the image, which is one of the most widely reproduced images in the world and 'celebrates the freedom of knowledge,' according to the product description. Wikipedia's serif 'W' logo is featured throughout. The collection is available now via the Armedangels website. The Armedangels x Wikipedia collection includes items that equate knowledge to progress, with shirts promoting freedom, peace, and equality. Ball caps with slogans like 'Open Source of Information' and 'Yes, I know,' are fan merch for people who love going down multi-tab Wikipedia rabbit holes. The items range in price from about $16 for socks, $48 for hats, $57 for T-shirts, and $114 for sweatshirts. The nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation—which also operates tools like Wikimedia Commons and Wikibooks—saw annual revenue of more than $180 million in 2024, more than $170 million of which came from donations (though it says just 2% of Wikipedia readers donate). Some hypebeast apparel might be able to nominally improve that percentage, and it comes as the site itself has become a political lightning rod, facing increasing attacks from some on the right. Armedangels says every piece is made from 100% recycled material, and 12% of sales proceeds go to the Wikimedia Foundation. It's 'sustainability meets free knowledge,' as the fashion brand says. 'Because when we know better, we do better.' Like the pro-reading, anti-book-ban capsule collection for Penguin Random House by Online Ceramics, Armedangels x Wikipedia lends street-fashion cred to book smarts—and it raises money for valuable education resources at a time when anti-intellectualism is on the rise, and our information ecosystem has become especially polluted.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New ESISC Report Exposes Systemic Failures in Wikipedia's Governance and the Growing Risks of Disinformation
BRUSSELS, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A groundbreaking report authored by Claude Moniquet and Genovefa Etienne at the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) highlights significant concerns regarding Wikipedia's role in the spread of unchecked information and its increasing vulnerability to manipulation. While the platform remains a key resource for global knowledge dissemination, its operational model – rooted in anonymous, crowd-sourced contributions with minimal oversight – poses substantial risks to individuals, institutions, and public discourse. The report, titled "Wikipedia: Immense but Uncontrollable Power?", meticulously documents numerous cases where factual inaccuracies, ideological bias, and coordinated defamation campaigns have persisted for extended periods without adequate intervention from the Wikimedia Foundation. Notable instances include manipulations within the Croatian-language Wikipedia, partisan content related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and defamatory entries targeting public figures, journalists, and private citizens. One prominent example cited in the report involves Le Point, a leading French magazine, which initiated a petition after being targeted by a smear campaign on Wikipedia. Another case concerns Tamaz Somkhishvili, a British-Georgian businessman whose Wikipedia page contains a series of false and defamatory claims. Despite multiple efforts to present verified evidence to counter these allegations, the harmful content remains accessible – a clear indicator of Wikipedia's ineffective redress mechanisms for wrongly targeted individuals. The authors argue that Wikipedia's structure increasingly mirrors that of a social media platform rather than a neutral and reliable information source. The report calls on the Wikimedia Foundation to address these systemic flaws, emphasizing the need to align Wikipedia's operations with the European Union's Digital Services Act, which mandates more stringent measures against disinformation. As the report's authors state:"Wikipedia has become a dominant actor in the global knowledge ecosystem, but it lacks the editorial responsibility and accountability required by this role. The absence of oversight enables harm that can be long-lasting and difficult to repair." The report concludes with a series of practical recommendations, including: Appointing editorial representatives for each language version of Wikipedia. Introducing clearer correction procedures to address inaccuracies and defamatory content. Developing a more transparent governance model that balances openness with accountability. The full report is available online in both English and French: English version: Wikipedia: Immense but Uncontrollable Power? French version: Wikipedia: Un pouvoir immense mais incontrôlable ? For more information and to access the full report, please visit View source version on Contacts Email: info@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Wire
New ESISC Report Exposes Systemic Failures in Wikipedia's Governance and the Growing Risks of Disinformation
BRUSSELS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A groundbreaking report authored by Claude Moniquet and Genovefa Etienne at the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center (ESISC) highlights significant concerns regarding Wikipedia's role in the spread of unchecked information and its increasing vulnerability to manipulation. While the platform remains a key resource for global knowledge dissemination, its operational model – rooted in anonymous, crowd-sourced contributions with minimal oversight – poses substantial risks to individuals, institutions, and public discourse. The report, titled 'Wikipedia: Immense but Uncontrollable Power?', meticulously documents numerous cases where factual inaccuracies, ideological bias, and coordinated defamation campaigns have persisted for extended periods without adequate intervention from the Wikimedia Foundation. Notable instances include manipulations within the Croatian-language Wikipedia, partisan content related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and defamatory entries targeting public figures, journalists, and private citizens. One prominent example cited in the report involves Le Point, a leading French magazine, which initiated a petition after being targeted by a smear campaign on Wikipedia. Another case concerns Tamaz Somkhishvili, a British-Georgian businessman whose Wikipedia page contains a series of false and defamatory claims. Despite multiple efforts to present verified evidence to counter these allegations, the harmful content remains accessible – a clear indicator of Wikipedia's ineffective redress mechanisms for wrongly targeted individuals. The authors argue that Wikipedia's structure increasingly mirrors that of a social media platform rather than a neutral and reliable information source. The report calls on the Wikimedia Foundation to address these systemic flaws, emphasizing the need to align Wikipedia's operations with the European Union's Digital Services Act, which mandates more stringent measures against disinformation. As the report's authors state: 'Wikipedia has become a dominant actor in the global knowledge ecosystem, but it lacks the editorial responsibility and accountability required by this role. The absence of oversight enables harm that can be long-lasting and difficult to repair.' The report concludes with a series of practical recommendations, including: Appointing editorial representatives for each language version of Wikipedia. Introducing clearer correction procedures to address inaccuracies and defamatory content. Developing a more transparent governance model that balances openness with accountability. The full report is available online in both English and French:
New Indian Express
19-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Integrated into Kerala's educational system, Malayalam Wiki is eyeing the future
KOCHI: The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as pontiff on May 8 sparked global curiosity—and nowhere in India was this more evident than in Kerala, which has the country's largest Catholic population. Over the next few days, the English Wikipedia page for Pope Leo XIV — the papal name that Cardinal Prevost assumed — witnessed a remarkable 300% increase in views globally. And, to cater to the needs of Malayalis who prefer to access information in their mother tongue, Malayalam Wikipedia stepped in with a thoughtful initiative: using its 'content translation' tool, the article on Pope Leo XIV was swiftly developed in Malayalam. And there were many takers, with the viewership rising manifold for the Malayalam edition. 'Wikipedia is the largest online encyclopaedia, and the most popular version is the English Wikipedia. However, it's now available in 345 languages. Besides Malayalam, we've editions in 20 Indian languages. More and more people are now searching in their local languages. The viewership for Malayalam Wikipedia has surged of late, especially after the election of the new Pope. This after we instantly translated the English Wikipedia content on Pope Leo XIV into 23 other global regional languages, including Malayalam. Similarly, when the Wayanad landslides happened last year, many people created articles on Malayalam Wikipedia and contributed images.' Santhosh Thottingal, principal software engineer (language engineering), Wikimedia Foundation, told TNIE. The non-profit Wikimedia Foundation hosts Wikipedia- — the free online encyclopaedia created, edited, and verified by volunteers around the world — as well as many other vital community projects. Santhosh said the regional language Wikipedia editions are as credible as the English version as entries are not merely 'machine-translated', but contributed by volunteers who thoroughly check their veracity and write in the taste of the local language viewers. So, what are the challenges ahead for regional language editions? 'Many people are unaware that Wikipedia info is available in Malayalam. That's our main challenge,' he said.
