Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
On 14 October 2012 22:12, Andreas Kolbe jayen...@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. -- geni ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
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 jayen...@gmail.com wrote: On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 6:23 AM, geni geni...@gmail.com wrote: On 14 October 2012 22:12, Andreas Kolbe jayen...@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? ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
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 ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
Hi Andreas, On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Andreas Kolbe jayen...@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 -- 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
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
On Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 1:13 AM, Kul Wadhwa kwad...@wikimedia.org wrote: Hi Andreas, On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Andreas Kolbe jayen...@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? ___ Wikimedia-l mailing list Wikimedia-l@lists.wikimedia.org Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
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 jwa...@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_WP_Zero_in_the_Middle_East ) '''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 QA 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
Re: [Wikimedia-l] Wikimedia Foundation and Saudi Telecom (STC) partner to provide access to Wikipedia free of mobile data charges in the Middle East
On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 12:06 AM, Theo10011 de10...@gmail.com wrote: On Mon, Oct 15, 2012 at 3:31 AM, Moushira Elamrawy moushi...@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_Arabia ___ 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
