Just like an average internet user, the tech giants are also dependent on the database of Wikipedia as a reliable source of information. And this week, Facebook made the same transparent.
According to an announcement made by the Wikimedia Foundation on Thursday, Facebook contributes $1 million to Wikimedia Endowment fund that is responsible for financially supporting the online encyclopedia and other projects by the Wikimedia.
In the announcement, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales expressed his gratitude towards Facebook and desired for a long-term collaboration with the social media platform.
Initiated in 2016, the Wikimedia Endowment provides monetary support for the different projects handled by Wikipedia. Predominantly, the foundation ensures that the extensive database of online encyclopedia is widely accessible free globally. The foundation’s initial goal was to raise $100 million and to date, it has managed to raise around $50 million.
On the other hand, Google (YouTube's parent company) has donated to the Wikimedia Foundation and remains listed on the nonprofit’s benefactor’s page.
Amazon also announced in September that it was donating $1 million to the Endowment fund for continuous operation of the database. Leading tech companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, Salesforce, Adobe, and Netflix have also contributed to the Wikimedia Foundation through different programs.
According to an announcement made by the Wikimedia Foundation on Thursday, Facebook contributes $1 million to Wikimedia Endowment fund that is responsible for financially supporting the online encyclopedia and other projects by the Wikimedia.
In the announcement, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales expressed his gratitude towards Facebook and desired for a long-term collaboration with the social media platform.
Initiated in 2016, the Wikimedia Endowment provides monetary support for the different projects handled by Wikipedia. Predominantly, the foundation ensures that the extensive database of online encyclopedia is widely accessible free globally. The foundation’s initial goal was to raise $100 million and to date, it has managed to raise around $50 million.
Related: The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World (infographic)Recently, Facebook also introduced a new feature that allowed users to access Wikipedia’s database directly through their News Feed.
Tech companies and their reliance on Wikipedia
Besides Facebook, other tech companies have also taken Wikipedia for granted. For example, YouTube announced in March that it would run a snippet of information sourced directly from Wikipedia under videos that are accused of providing false data. However, YouTube (separately, as a social network) has never contributed towards the Wikipedia fund nor has it given any hints regarding potential partnerships.On the other hand, Google (YouTube's parent company) has donated to the Wikimedia Foundation and remains listed on the nonprofit’s benefactor’s page.
Amazon also announced in September that it was donating $1 million to the Endowment fund for continuous operation of the database. Leading tech companies such as Apple, Qualcomm, Salesforce, Adobe, and Netflix have also contributed to the Wikimedia Foundation through different programs.
