The New York Times has published an OpEd by the Founder of the Wikimedia Foundation, Jimmy (Jimbo) Wales and the Executive Director, Lila Treitkov. Both had strong words for the NSA, especially where it concerns the surveillance of internet communications.

"By tapping the backbone of the Internet, the NSA is straining the backbone of democracy," stated Treitkov, adding, "Wikipedia is founded on the freedoms of expression, inquiry, and information. By violating our users' privacy, the NSA is threatening the intellectual freedom that is central to people's ability to create and understand knowledge."