(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W...)
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
_______________________________________________ Please note: all replies sent to this mailing list will be immediately directed to Wikimedia-l, the public mailing list of the Wikimedia community. For more information about Wikimedia-l: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l _______________________________________________ WikimediaAnnounce-l mailing list WikimediaAnnounce-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaannounce-l
Hi folks - sharing a news release that WMF issued this morning along with STC.
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W...)
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
Wonderful news! Big thanks goes for all the people who made this happen.
On 14 October 2012 20:32, Jay Walsh jwalsh@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi folks - sharing a news release that WMF issued this morning along with STC.
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W... )
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
-- Jay Walsh Head of Communications WikimediaFoundation.org blog.wikimedia.org +1 (415) 839 6885 x 6609, @jansonw
Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
that sounds great! is this offer available to all STC clients, or only restricted to certain plans?
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 8:01 PM, Mohamed Ibrahim mido.architect@gmail.comwrote:
Wonderful news! Big thanks goes for all the people who made this happen.
On 14 October 2012 20:32, Jay Walsh jwalsh@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi folks - sharing a news release that WMF issued this morning along with STC.
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W...
)
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
-- Jay Walsh Head of Communications WikimediaFoundation.org blog.wikimedia.org +1 (415) 839 6885 x 6609, @jansonw
Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
-- Mido _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 12:38 PM, rupert THURNER rupert.thurner@gmail.comwrote:
that sounds great! is this offer available to all STC clients, or only restricted to certain plans?
To all STC customers. More details here:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
Will access to Wikipedia for people in Saudi Arabia be uncensored?
Has there been any agreement with Saudi Telecom on censorship?
Andreas
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Jay Walsh jwalsh@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi folks - sharing a news release that WMF issued this morning along with STC.
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W... )
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
-- Jay Walsh Head of Communications WikimediaFoundation.org blog.wikimedia.org +1 (415) 839 6885 x 6609, @jansonw
Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Awesome!
Congrats to mobile team for a promising deal. Great job! Can't wait to see readership _and edit (for the future!)_ stats in KSA for the next months.
@Andreas: Censorship! Thats interesting --but my understanding is that Wikiipedia is fine in KSA, except for some visual content that is being blocked.
Once again, thumbs up to mobile team, legal, admin, and anyone who helped this deal come true.
Best, /M
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 11:12 PM, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
Will access to Wikipedia for people in Saudi Arabia be uncensored?
Has there been any agreement with Saudi Telecom on censorship?
Andreas
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 6:32 PM, Jay Walsh jwalsh@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi folks - sharing a news release that WMF issued this morning along with STC.
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W...
)
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
The Wikimedia Foundation is the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. According to comScore Media Metrix, Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Wikimedia Foundation receive more than 456 million unique visitors per month, making them the fifth-most popular web property world-wide (comScore, August 2012). Available in 285 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 22 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community of roughly 100,000 people. Based in San Francisco, California, the Wikimedia Foundation is an audited, 501(c)(3) charity that is funded primarily through donations and grants.
-- Jay Walsh Head of Communications WikimediaFoundation.org blog.wikimedia.org +1 (415) 839 6885 x 6609, @jansonw
Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 3:31 AM, Moushira Elamrawy moushirah@gmail.comwrote:
@Andreas: Censorship! Thats interesting --but my understanding is that Wikiipedia is fine in KSA, except for some visual content that is being blocked.
Not exactly.[1][2] ;)
Regards Theo
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Saudi_Arabia#Internet [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_articles_censored_in_Saudi_A...
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:06 AM, Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 3:31 AM, Moushira Elamrawy <moushirah@gmail.com
wrote:
@Andreas: Censorship! Thats interesting --but my understanding is that Wikiipedia is fine in KSA, except for some visual content that is being blocked.
Not exactly.[1][2] ;)
Yes, this too, but people always manage to work around it ;) In general it is accessible and better than the censorship status in other countries (Syria!), and the government is investing in increasing Wikipedia Arabic content, so a lot could be done to expand readership and editor base with the current status, even if it isn't perfect.
Best, M
Regards Theo
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Saudi_Arabia#Internet [2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_articles_censored_in_Saudi_A... _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
On Sun, Oct 14, 2012 at 10:29 PM, Moushira Elamrawy moushirah@gmail.comwrote:
Yes, this too, but people always manage to work around it ;) In general it is accessible and better than the censorship status in other countries (Syria!), and the government is investing in increasing Wikipedia Arabic content, so a lot could be done to expand readership and editor base with the current status, even if it isn't perfect.
Best, M
The Saudi government is investing in increasing Arabic Wikipedia content? Are you sure?
Could you tell us more about this project – i.e. how the funding is distributed, and who does the editing?
A.
Regards Theo
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_censorship_in_Saudi_Arabia#Internet
[2]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_articles_censored_in_Saudi_A...
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I am from Saudi Arabia, so I guess I will be able to explain a few issues.
First of all, it's important to note that Saudi Arabia is a good example of a pretty much totalitarian state, with many governmental agencies and institutions, the core of which, say the interior and media ministries, play a key role in repressing unwanted expression. However, there are others that are far from the core and enjoy some kind of (unintended?) self-management.
It's also important to note that it is not possible to get anything on done in Saudi Arabia on large scale without getting a governmental institution partnership and approval.
And yes, hundreds of articles are censored, almost all of them are related to sexuality and there aren't any known censored political or historical articles.
The Saudi government is investing in increasing Arabic Wikipedia content? Are you sure?
Could you tell us more about this project – i.e. how the funding is distributed, and who does the editing?
Yes, it is, through King Abdullah Initiative for Arabic Content[0]. They have had their own version of the Education Program for the last two years. [[ar:User:Ali1]] and I have been helping them by training students. The initiative is public and documented under a Wikipedia namespace page on the Arabic Wikipedia. Instructors and students have the chance to choose the articles they see fit, without intervention from the initiative.
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA.
Actually, censorship is imposed through a national proxy run by the Communication and Information Technology Commission[1]. ISPs do not get to pick and choose.
Thanks for the info, Osama.
Andreas
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 6:29 AM, Osama Khalid osamak@gnu.org wrote:
I am from Saudi Arabia, so I guess I will be able to explain a few issues.
First of all, it's important to note that Saudi Arabia is a good example of a pretty much totalitarian state, with many governmental agencies and institutions, the core of which, say the interior and media ministries, play a key role in repressing unwanted expression. However, there are others that are far from the core and enjoy some kind of (unintended?) self-management.
It's also important to note that it is not possible to get anything on done in Saudi Arabia on large scale without getting a governmental institution partnership and approval.
And yes, hundreds of articles are censored, almost all of them are related to sexuality and there aren't any known censored political or historical articles.
The Saudi government is investing in increasing Arabic Wikipedia content? Are you sure?
Could you tell us more about this project – i.e. how the funding is distributed, and who does the editing?
Yes, it is, through King Abdullah Initiative for Arabic Content[0]. They have had their own version of the Education Program for the last two years. [[ar:User:Ali1]] and I have been helping them by training students. The initiative is public and documented under a Wikipedia namespace page on the Arabic Wikipedia. Instructors and students have the chance to choose the articles they see fit, without intervention from the initiative.
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA.
Actually, censorship is imposed through a national proxy run by the Communication and Information Technology Commission[1]. ISPs do not get to pick and choose.
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On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 6:29 AM, Osama Khalid osamak@gnu.org wrote:
Actually, censorship is imposed through a national proxy run by the Communication and Information Technology Commission[1]. ISPs do not get to pick and choose.
Just noticed that according to Google Translate, the Saudi telecom ministry's internet.sa page has Wikipedia in the little olive box in the top left, under the heading:
"We chose you – the Association of the Week." :)
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t...
;)
(You may have to reload the page a couple of times in Google Translate to see it; the box has rotating content.)
Jimbo has said on English Wikipedia that he knows nothing about this, so it does not seem to have been a board decision:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales#Saudi_Arabia_partnership_...
---o0o---
I personally know nothing about this partnership. I am deeply concerned about any collaboration with people who practice censorship. But I also acknowledge there are many complexities and possibilities. I'll investigate and if I'm unhappy about it, I'll let you know. And if I'm happy about it, I'll let you know. --Jimbo Waleshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jimbo_Wales (talk http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jimbo_Wales#top) 02:41, 16 October 2012 (UTC)
---o0o---
A.
On 16 October 2012 13:58, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
I am deeply concerned about any collaboration with people who practice censorship.
At this point I'm boggling.
- d.
On 14 October 2012 22:12, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
Will access to Wikipedia for people in Saudi Arabia be uncensored?
Very unlikely.
Has there been any agreement with Saudi Telecom on censorship?
The Saudi's don't like to discuss their censorship policies with outsiders. I would assume that they take the view that it is something they can manage on their own.
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 6:23 AM, geni geniice@gmail.com wrote:
On 14 October 2012 22:12, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
Will access to Wikipedia for people in Saudi Arabia be uncensored?
Very unlikely.
Has there been any agreement with Saudi Telecom on censorship?
The Saudi's don't like to discuss their censorship policies with outsiders. I would assume that they take the view that it is something they can manage on their own.
These questions are really for Jay to answer, rather than for us to speculate on.
What I mean is: Is there any mention of censorship in the partnership agreement, one way or the other? Is the text of the agreement public? Would it be possible to make it public, for transparency? If not, why not?
The press release that started this thread said,
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org.
Intigral is a censorship specialist:
http://www.thenational.ae/business/the-gentle-touch-of-censorship
---o0o---
The digital media company, which provides digital TV channels and video-on-demand for the Saudi Telecom Company (STC), has a "live censorship" room and sophisticated editing facilities to remove content deemed offensive.
---o0o---
According to Wikipedia, Saudi Telecom is owned by the Saudi government.
Dan Murphy, Middle East correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, has commented on Wikipediocracy, quoting Jimbo's response last month to the proposed UK "snoopers charter", saying that the Saudi government is far more invasive than anything that was proposed for the UK:
---o0o---
http://wikipediocracy.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=20262#p20262
Wales' Wikimedia Foundation has just entered into an agreement with the telecoms provider of a government that routinely snoops on its citizens online, in far more invasive and frightening ways than mooted for the UK. Reading between the lines, it is collaborating with the Saudi government's main web censor in writing code. The Saudi government makes encryption like Wales "threatened" the UK with in September strictly illegal and brought Blackberry to heel over this issue. The Saudi government routinely tracks down the identities of internet users and harasses them. Any Saudi who has something critical to write about the monarchy or Saudi history would be very, very foolish to edit Wikipedia, particularly via Saudi Telecom. That would be very dangerous. It is almost criminally irresponsible to encourage young Saudis to edit Wikipedia without warning them of the potential consequences.
---o0o---
Any comment?
In other news, it has also just been announced today that the UAE have launched their own online encyclopedia, modelled on Wikipedia:
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/uae-launches-its-answer-wikipedia-476405.html
It will initially offer Arabic only, but other languages will apparently follow in future.
Is the timing of these two announcements coincidental, or were WMF aware of the UAE plans?
Andreas
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 8:51 AM, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 6:23 AM, geni geniice@gmail.com wrote:
On 14 October 2012 22:12, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
Will access to Wikipedia for people in Saudi Arabia be uncensored?
Very unlikely.
Has there been any agreement with Saudi Telecom on censorship?
The Saudi's don't like to discuss their censorship policies with outsiders. I would assume that they take the view that it is something they can manage on their own.
These questions are really for Jay to answer, rather than for us to speculate on.
What I mean is: Is there any mention of censorship in the partnership agreement, one way or the other? Is the text of the agreement public? Would it be possible to make it public, for transparency? If not, why not?
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I don't understand the need for a partnership between the Wikipedia Foundation and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
If STC wants not to charge its customers for accessing Wikipedia, in what way does it need the help of the Foundation to achieve that?
Sarah
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:33 AM, Sarah slimvirgin@gmail.com wrote:
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I don't understand the need for a partnership between the Wikipedia Foundation and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
If STC wants not to charge its customers for accessing Wikipedia, in what way does it need the help of the Foundation to achieve that?
Hi Sarah
The partnership is part of a larger initiative[1] - the page provides a list of countries and carriers where this partnership exists, it includes, Orange, in Kenya, Niger, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Telenor in Monte Negro, dtac in Thailand and now STC is KSA.
The partnership with the telecom companies provides free access through either Wikipedia Zero or mobile Wikipedia in different languages to millions of users who might not have access to these services. The listed page mentions that the partnership does not involve any financial deal to provide this access. I'm not aware of the particulars but the partnership might have just focused on providing some technical help and a point of interaction to facilitate the deal. It's a good deal considering millions of people get free access, who would have had limited access and use of Wikipedia before.
It was part of the focus for the Global Development department and WMF, to provide better access in these countries in the developing world, under the previously-used and inappropriate title of "Global South".
Regards Theo
[1] https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#Where_is_Wikipedia_...
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 1:33 PM, Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com wrote:
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:33 AM, Sarah slimvirgin@gmail.com wrote:
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I don't understand the need for a partnership between the Wikipedia Foundation and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC). ... [snip]
Hi Sarah
The partnership is part of a larger initiative[1] - the page provides a list of countries and carriers where this partnership exists, it includes, Orange, in Kenya, Niger, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Telenor in Monte Negro, dtac in Thailand and now STC is KSA. ... [snip]
Regards Theo
[1]
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#Where_is_Wikipedia_...
Many thanks, Theo.
Sarah
Hi Sarah,
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:03 PM, Sarah slimvirgin@gmail.com wrote:
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I don't understand the need for a partnership between the Wikipedia Foundation and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
If STC wants not to charge its customers for accessing Wikipedia, in what way does it need the help of the Foundation to achieve that?
This is not a stupid question...actually my wife asked me the same thing :)
To implement a zero-rated version of Wikipedia we engage and work directly with an operator on multiple levels. Besides spending time with their business/marketing and/or corporate social responsibility staff to take on this program (because it does cost them time and resources) we work with on the technical side to adapt, customize and debug a light-weight version of Wikipedia (i.e., Wikipedia Zero) that their customers can access on their network. Sometimes this includes, but is not limited to, creating a country-specific landing page, developing banners so customers know they are not paying when they are using it, and some feature development. We also need to make sure that it works within their billing systems so customers don't get charged for using it. Operators have varying technical infrastructures (some completely different from others) so we have to make adjustments for each one. Then we spend a lot time testing with them to make sure it's running properly.
You can find more information here:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Zero
--Kul
"... some feature development". Please just tell us:
Is there anything about political or any other kind of censorship in the WMF/STC agreement and/or the cooperation? Was the topic ever raised in the discussions? If so, in which contexts? What was decided?
Is it part of the written agreement?
Were any other freedom of expression issues and related technical solutions discussed, or addressed in the agreement?
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 12:13 AM, Kul Wadhwa kwadhwa@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi Sarah,
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:03 PM, Sarah slimvirgin@gmail.com wrote:
Apologies if this is a stupid question, but I don't understand the need for a partnership between the Wikipedia Foundation and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC).
If STC wants not to charge its customers for accessing Wikipedia, in what way does it need the help of the Foundation to achieve that?
This is not a stupid question...actually my wife asked me the same thing :)
To implement a zero-rated version of Wikipedia we engage and work directly with an operator on multiple levels. Besides spending time with their business/marketing and/or corporate social responsibility staff to take on this program (because it does cost them time and resources) we work with on the technical side to adapt, customize and debug a light-weight version of Wikipedia (i.e., Wikipedia Zero) that their customers can access on their network. Sometimes this includes, but is not limited to, creating a country-specific landing page, developing banners so customers know they are not paying when they are using it, and some feature development. We also need to make sure that it works within their billing systems so customers don't get charged for using it. Operators have varying technical infrastructures (some completely different from others) so we have to make adjustments for each one. Then we spend a lot time testing with them to make sure it's running properly.
You can find more information here:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Wikipedia_Zero
--Kul
-- Kul Wadhwa Head of Mobile Wikimedia Foundation _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Hi Andreas,
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
"... some feature development". Please just tell us:
Is there anything about political or any other kind of censorship in the WMF/STC agreement and/or the cooperation? Was the topic ever raised in the discussions? If so, in which contexts? What was decided?
*There are absolutely no provisions in our partnership to block or censor the content of our projects. We would not consider any requests from any partner to block or censor content*.
Is it part of the written agreement?
No
Were any other freedom of expression issues and related technical solutions discussed, or addressed in the agreement?
No
--Kul
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 1:13 AM, Kul Wadhwa kwadhwa@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi Andreas,
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Andreas Kolbe jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
"... some feature development". Please just tell us:
Is there anything about political or any other kind of censorship in the WMF/STC agreement and/or the cooperation? Was the topic ever raised in
the
discussions? If so, in which contexts? What was decided?
*There are absolutely no provisions in our partnership to block or censor the content of our projects. We would not consider any requests from any partner to block or censor content*.
Thanks. :)
Did STC or Intigral ever express an intention to censor Wikipedia content themselves?
Was that topic ever raised by either WMF or STC/Intigral in the discussions?
Do you know whether STC/Intigral will or will not censor Wikipedia content for Saudi mobile phone users?
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 5:13 PM, Kul Wadhwa kwadhwa@wikimedia.org wrote:
Hi Sarah,
This is not a stupid question...actually my wife asked me the same thing :)
To implement a zero-rated version of Wikipedia we engage and work directly with an operator on multiple levels. Besides spending time with their business/marketing and/or corporate social responsibility staff to take on this program (because it does cost them time and resources) we work with on the technical side to adapt, customize and debug a light-weight version of Wikipedia (i.e., Wikipedia Zero) that their customers can access on their network. ... [snip]
Thanks, Kul, that was very helpful.
Sarah
There has been an article on heise.de about this:
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Saudi-Arabien-Mobile-Wikipedia-kosten...
Translated quote:
The English Wikipedia documents a list of 141 articles that are apparently blocked in Saudi Arabia. Many of these have sexual content, but they also include articles on Muhammad caricatures and an Arabic article on evolution. The block can be relatively easily circumvented, by using a https connection to access the article, but this is unlikely to work when using the mobile phone offer.
Original German quote:
In der englischsprachigen Wikipedia ist eine Liste mit 141 Artikeln dokumentiert, die in Saudi-Arabien gesperrt sein sollen. Darunter sind viele mit sexuellen Inhalten, aber auch Artikel über die Mohammed-Karikaturen und ein arabischer Artikel über die Evolution. Diese Sperre lässt sich mit dem Artikelabruf über eine https-Verbindung relativ leicht umgehen, was allerdings bei dem Mobilfunkangebot nicht funktionieren dürfte.
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
Regards,
Yann
2012/10/14 Jay Walsh jwalsh@wikimedia.org:
(This press release is also posted on the WMF wiki at https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Press_releases/WMF_and_STC_partner_on_W...)
'''The Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East'''
''Service available immediately to STC customers in Saudi Arabia''
San Francisco, California and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- October 14, 2012 -- Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Wikimedia Foundation announced a new partnership today to offer Wikipedia free of data charges on mobile devices to STC customers in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. By making Wikipedia available to its 25 million mobile customers, STC and the Wikimedia Foundation commit to increasing access to the free and open knowledge available on Wikipedia. Wikipedia Zero enables customers to browse the website for free and with high flexibility on all mobile phones.
This partnership is part of the Wikimedia Foundation's mobile strategy, which focuses on reaching billions of people around the world whose primary opportunity to access the Internet is via a mobile device. This initiative is particularly important, given that the Foundation has made Arabic language countries a special priority in its strategic planning.
“We are thrilled that STC has joined us in removing a major barrier to accessing Wikipedia on mobile phones. Improving access to the Wikimedia projects in the Arabic speaking world is a strategic priority for the Foundation, and this partnership is a step forward in our mission to enable everyone on the planet to access free knowledge,” said Kul Takanao Wadhwa, Head of Mobile, Wikimedia Foundation. “With Wikipedia Zero, the Wikimedia Foundation is able to provide free Wikipedia access to almost 230 million mobile users around the world. We’re very excited that STC is joining us in this mission.”
In collaboration with “Intigral”, a company specialized in providing digital media solutions to telecom operators, STC subscribers can now access the free service in both Arabic and English by pointing their mobile browser to m.wikipedia.org. A lightweight, text-only version optimized for slower connections is also available at zero.wikipedia.org. The move comes as STC continues to consolidate its leadership in various fields, especially in social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture. Wikipedia Zero will also be available through the mobile browser, and features high browsing speeds despite being a free service.
Eng. Ibrahim Al Omar, Vice President for Personal Services, said “One of the principles that STC adheres to is the commitment to spreading social awareness and the fostering of a knowledge-sharing culture that accomplishes the aspirations of all segments of our customer-base.” He then added, “Wikipedia Zero is considered an additional cornerstone that supports the continuous efforts of STC in the field of social awareness.”
The launch of Wikipedia Zero comes in line with STC’s strategy to prioritize customer needs, and is an affirmation of the company’s commitment to fulfilling customer expectations while meeting their demands, and to continuously develop its services to satisfy their aspirations and give them a variety of unrestricted options and alternatives.
For more information, please refer to the partnership Q&A at: https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
'''About Saudi Telecom''' www.stc.com.sa
Saudi Telecom Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides telecommunications services to individuals and businesses primarily in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its GSM segment primarily offers mobile, prepaid cards, international roaming, and messaging services. The company’s Landline segment principally provides fixed line, card telephones, interconnect, and international call services. Its DATA segment primarily offers leased data transmission circuits, DSL, and Internet services. The company also engages in the operation of communications projects; transmission and processing of information; wholesale and retail trade of recharge card services, telecommunication equipment and devices, and computer services; sale and re-sale of various landlines and mobiles telecommunication services; and maintenance and operation of commercial centers. In addition, it provides mobile services, international telecommunications, broad band, and other related services in Bahrain; and operates third generation mobile network in Indonesia. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
'''About Wikimedia Foundation''' http://wikimediafoundation.org http://blog.wikimedia.org
On Oct 15, 2012 6:06 PM, "Yann Forget" yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
I don't think this partnership will help the regime in any significant way and even restricted access to Wikipedia is better than no access.
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company to allow its subscriber in KSA (MENA region), free and easy access to Wikipedia. KSA is a big part of the middle-east region, the political reasons aside this helps the public get better access to Wikipedia. There is no reason why we should not increase availability for the general public.
I'm not sure about the stance against this either, if a government is trying to censor and restrict access, we should do what? not help provide access to their citizens, not increase availability? how would that help the situation? This is a way of working with the current situation and perhaps around it, its about providing free access to people in the region, which is probably the best thing to do at the time.
Regards Theo
Am 15.10.2012 21:19, schrieb Theo10011:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company to allow its subscriber in KSA (MENA region), free and easy access to Wikipedia. KSA is a big part of the middle-east region, the political reasons aside this helps the public get better access to Wikipedia. There is no reason why we should not increase availability for the general public.
I'm not sure about the stance against this either, if a government is trying to censor and restrict access, we should do what? not help provide access to their citizens, not increase availability? how would that help the situation? This is a way of working with the current situation and perhaps around it, its about providing free access to people in the region, which is probably the best thing to do at the time.
Regards Theo _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
There is always the doubt that an initiative achieves its goal. After reading the latest contribution of Saudi Arabia to the World Telecommunication Policy Forum 2013 [1], I'm really a pessimist. In short: They claim that it is "absolutely necessary" to tackle the problem of freedom of expression in the Internet.
After reading that report I'm truly pessimistic in this regard. Additionally i know about the deep relationship between the Saudi Telecom Company and Intigral. The later one is well known to provide efficient censorship solutions. So i have to fear that the subscribers will get the censored version of WP instead the real one and that such an cooperation actually helps to keep the people away from accessing the uncensored version. ("They demand a book of truth? Let's give them the book of our truth, so that they can be happy, ...")
[1] http://www.itu.int/md/S12-WTPF13PREP-C-0026/en
nya~
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 8:19 PM, Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company
Theo, Saudi Telecom was wholly owned by the Saudi government when it was founded in 1998. It held monopolies then.
After a partial privatisation in the early 2000s, STC remains 70% owned by the Saudi government, with the remainder owned by "domestic investors (16.4%), the Public Pension Fund (6.6%) and the General Organisation for Social Insurance (7.0%)".[1]
To say that it's not partnership with the Saudi government is a little misleading. I am not saying there is anything wrong with it, but surely you can understand that there is interest in what exactly the terms of this partnership are.
[1] http://www.telegeography.com/page_attachments/products/website/research-serv...
I'm curious: the list of censored topics in KSA (on Wikipedia) seems to be entirely sexual content. Certainly, the KSA censor that, but do they censor any articles that are political or similar topics? Forgive if I've misread the list!
Richard Symonds, Wikimedia UK On Oct 16, 2012 1:15 AM, "Andreas Kolbe" jayen466@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 8:19 PM, Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com wrote:
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company
Theo, Saudi Telecom was wholly owned by the Saudi government when it was founded in 1998. It held monopolies then.
After a partial privatisation in the early 2000s, STC remains 70% owned by the Saudi government, with the remainder owned by "domestic investors (16.4%), the Public Pension Fund (6.6%) and the General Organisation for Social Insurance (7.0%)".[1]
To say that it's not partnership with the Saudi government is a little misleading. I am not saying there is anything wrong with it, but surely you can understand that there is interest in what exactly the terms of this partnership are.
[1]
http://www.telegeography.com/page_attachments/products/website/research-serv... _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
2012/10/16 Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company to
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA. This is a poor excuse. In creating such a partnership, WMF is implicitely supporting the censorship by providing a moral caution, even if it is not directly involved in censorship.
Yann
allow its subscriber in KSA (MENA region), free and easy access to Wikipedia. KSA is a big part of the middle-east region, the political reasons aside this helps the public get better access to Wikipedia. There is no reason why we should not increase availability for the general public.
I'm not sure about the stance against this either, if a government is trying to censor and restrict access, we should do what? not help provide access to their citizens, not increase availability? how would that help the situation? This is a way of working with the current situation and perhaps around it, its about providing free access to people in the region, which is probably the best thing to do at the time.
Regards Theo _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA. This is a poor excuse. In creating such a partnership, WMF is implicitely supporting the censorship by providing a moral caution, even if it is not directly involved in censorship.
I guess I can see your point there, Yan. But please let me ask you this question : What do you think is the best way to teach people what the word "freedom" means?
-- Ciphers Note : I have been following this list for a while, but this is the first time I feel like posting something here. Apologize in advance if my comments are not in the scope of this list, and I wish posting using my wiki username won`t bother anyone.
Message: 7 Date: Tue, 16 Oct 2012 09:56:35 +0530 From: Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com To: Wikimedia Mailing List wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-l] [Wikimedia Announcements] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East Message-ID: CAKcJoPkc2n2xxORSciK2n9eeHT2Tr36yFNLcKcF_i7K5-pu1vQ@mail.gmail.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
2012/10/16 Theo10011 de10011@gmail.com:
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:35 PM, Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
Hello,
This announcement is worrying, to say the least. In other words, the Wikimedia Foundation is doing a partnership with one of the most retrograde government, which is also a regular censor on Internet content. How could you justify that?
Hi Yann
It's not a partnership with the government, it's with a telecom company to
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA. This is a poor excuse. In creating such a partnership, WMF is implicitely supporting the censorship by providing a moral caution, even if it is not directly involved in censorship.
Yann
allow its subscriber in KSA (MENA region), free and easy access to Wikipedia. KSA is a big part of the middle-east region, the political reasons aside this helps the public get better access to Wikipedia. There is no reason why we should not increase availability for the general
public.
I'm not sure about the stance against this either, if a government is trying to censor and restrict access, we should do what? not help provide access to their citizens, not increase availability? how would that help the situation? This is a way of working with the current situation and perhaps around it, its about providing free access to people in the
region,
which is probably the best thing to do at the time.
Regards Theo _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
2012/10/16 Ciphers Wikip cipherswiki@gmail.com:
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA. This is a poor excuse. In creating such a partnership, WMF is implicitely supporting the censorship by providing a moral caution, even if it is not directly involved in censorship.
I guess I can see your point there, Yan. But please let me ask you this question : What do you think is the best way to teach people what the word "freedom" means?
That's a difficult question, and a worthwhile debate. I would first ask people of South Arabia fighting against censorship what would help them most. That may provide a clue in which direction we should work.
-- Ciphers Note : I have been following this list for a while, but this is the first time I feel like posting something here. Apologize in advance if my comments are not in the scope of this list, and I wish posting using my wiki username won`t bother anyone.
Your message is fine, and well within the scope of this list.
Regards,
Yann
That's a difficult question, and a worthwhile debate.
Indeed it is.
I would first ask people of South Arabia fighting against censorship what would help them most. That may provide a clue in which direction we should work.
I have never been to Saudi Arabia, and I don`t think I am the best person to speak on their behalf, but I think any extra freely shared piece on information will help their peaceful fight. It might not be 100% today, but it will surely help them bring that number up by tomorrow.
Best regards, -- Ciphers
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 10:10 PM, Yann Forget yannfo@gmail.com wrote:
2012/10/16 Ciphers Wikip cipherswiki@gmail.com:
Well, this telecom company is the arm of the government to impose censorship in KSA. This is a poor excuse. In creating such a partnership, WMF is implicitely supporting the censorship by providing a moral caution, even if it is not directly involved in censorship.
I guess I can see your point there, Yan. But please let me ask you this question : What do you think is the best way to teach people what the word "freedom" means?
That's a difficult question, and a worthwhile debate. I would first ask people of South Arabia fighting against censorship what would help them most. That may provide a clue in which direction we should work.
-- Ciphers Note : I have been following this list for a while, but this is the first time I feel like posting something here. Apologize in advance if my comments are not in the scope of this list, and I wish posting using my
wiki
username won`t bother anyone.
Your message is fine, and well within the scope of this list.
Regards,
Yann
When Wikipedias black out, we remove knowledge from the world to protest censorship. We censor ourselves, why are we meta-complaining about what others do with the knowledge we provide.
Our mission, as Wikimedians, is to provide the sum of all human knowledge to the world for free. Knowledge should not be monetized, knowledge should not be politicized. In the short game, meaning a good part of our life-times, free knowledge will not defeat knowledge or money. All we can do is offer it as a chance to learn.
Mobile partnerships to provide either Zero or mobile versions of the websites are providing a generation that completely missed the personal computer, et alone the Encyclopedias we hold so dear, to access Wikipedia and other projects. We cannot be in the position to determine the censorship levels of what we provide, that is politics. We are above that. All we can do is make these opportunities available and trust that knowledge is free, and it will spread.
Demanding accountability is good, it is transparency. Pushing the envelope that is past the umbrella of our mission is political, and a complete red herring to what these partnerships mean.
The goal in working with Intigral/STC is to remove barriers so more people in the world can have access to free knowledge, and in this specific case it's in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. There isn't a "deal" here that involves content management, revenue (no money exchanges hands), or anything that affects the normal way we support the projects. You can find more info on our Q&A here:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
If we did not launch Wikipedia Zero in Saudi Arabia then that would mean that people in the region would still have to pay to access Wikipedia through their mobile phones. And that financial cost, which may be nominal or tolerable for some of us, it's very prohibitive to many more people. As other mobile operators such as Orange and Telenor have done, Intigral/STC graciously offered to eliminate that cost to eliminate the cost barrier. It's limited to that. The Wikimedia Foundation has not, and will not, censor or block any content whatsoever as part of its partnership with Intigral/STC.
Hello,
2012/10/16 Kul Wadhwa kwadhwa@wikimedia.org:
The goal in working with Intigral/STC is to remove barriers so more people in the world can have access to free knowledge, and in this specific case it's in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. There isn't a "deal" here that involves content management, revenue (no money exchanges hands), or anything that affects the normal way we support the projects. You can find more info on our Q&A here:
https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mobile_partnerships#STC
If we did not launch Wikipedia Zero in Saudi Arabia then that would mean that people in the region would still have to pay to access Wikipedia through their mobile phones. And that financial cost, which may be nominal or tolerable for some of us, it's very prohibitive to many more people. As other mobile operators such as Orange and Telenor have done, Intigral/STC graciously offered to eliminate that cost to eliminate the cost barrier. It's limited to that. The Wikimedia Foundation has not, and will not, censor or block any content whatsoever as part of its partnership with Intigral/STC.
-- Kul Wadhwa Head of Mobile Wikimedia Foundation
Thanks Kul for your message. The suspiction came also because of a mention of "improving content in the Arabic Wikipedia." I understand now that it is separate issue.
Regards,
Yann
Hi Yann,
Thanks Kul for your message.
My pleasure. I appreciate that you're asking all these questions, and they're good questions. It's important that we continue to do things the right way.
The suspiction came also because of a mention of "improving content in the Arabic Wikipedia." I understand now that it is separate issue.
This must have gotten misinterpreted somewhere. Nothing changes about the content. No company or governement should control or influence the content and we're not making any deals, partnerships or some secret "eye-winking" arrangements in any manner to allow that to happen.
--Kul
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