The 5th of July Foundation is a nonprofit Swedish foundation with the right to conduct commerce. It is registered with Länsstyrelsen i Stockholm (Stockholm County Administrative Board) and Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) under the official Swedish name “5 juli-stiftelsen”.
The official Charter of Foundation states that the foundation’s purpose is to:
… defend freedom of opinion and freedom of expression on the internet in line with the UN resolution from 5th of July, 2012, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Foundation shall in line with this purpose participate in public debate, educate the public about freedom of opinion, expression and privacy, support diversity and free exchange of ideas on the internet and seek to counteract damaging effects of monitoring, recording, retaining and blocking internet traffic. The Foundation shall also conduct commerce through providing internet services in Sweden and abroad that further these causes.
The 5th of July Foundation’s founders have a background from Bahnhof, Sweden’s legendary “Free speech Internet Service Provider”, founded in 1994 as the first independent ISP in the country. Bahnhof was chosen to be main hoster for Wikileaks during its #cablegate release in 2010, since Sweden is one of the best free speech jurisdictions in the world, and since Bahnhof could be expected to never give in to political pressure. Bahnhof didn’t.
The Board of Trustees makes sure that the foundation fulfills the wishes of the founders. The board currently consists of the three founders and two further members, who are appointed in accordance with the statutes of the foundation.
Who we are
The foundation’s backers are spread across countries and generations, but have in common a strong commitment to internet freedom. In addition to our public associates listed below, we work with a small group of dedicated technicians.
Dr Erik Lakomaa
Chairman
Dr Erik Lakomaa is Associate Professor in Economic History and Director of the Institute for Economic and Business History Research at the Stockholm School of Economics. His research has primarily concerned how organizations have handled technological and regulatory change. Dr Lakomaa has participated in public investigations in Sweden and the EU, and advised several companies, public authorities, and civil society organizations on public affairs. He is a four-time grand master of the quiz show Jeopardy.
Henrik “HAX” Alexandersson
Editor
HAX is editor of our news blog Femte juli, and co-host of our podcast. A well known blogger on civil rights and individual liberty, as well as a whistleblower, he most recently worked as a press officer for the Swedish Pirate Party in the European Parliament, followed by a period in Swedish prison for his refusal to compromise with his principles. HAX has been involved in and reported on Swedish politics in many capacities since the 1980s.
Jon Karlung
Founder and Board of Trustees
Jon Karlung became the first employed CEO of Bahnhof in 1996. After stints in other functions within the Bahnhof group he is back as CEO. His entrepreneurial spirit makes the firm develop rapidly. Bahnhof has about 260 employees. Mr Karlung turned IT entrepreneur after having worked as a journalist who saw the internet as a new medium very early. He has a BA in Literature and Humanities, and has a passion for data center innovation.
Andreas Norman
Founder and Board of Trustees
Andreas Norman was an early internet entrepreneur in Sweden, founding Dalnet Communications in 1995. Five years later his firm was purchased by Bahnhof. As a technician, Mr Norman has been both CTO and vice CEO of Bahnhof. He now serves as the Chairman of the Board of Bahnhof and is also active in strategic-technical areas. Together with Mr Karlung he is a majority owner of publicly traded Bahnhof.
Oscar Swartz
Founder and Board of Trustees
Oscar Swartz is the founder of Bahnhof. His free speech ideology permeated the firm and is proudly carried on by Jon Karlung. Mr Swartz left Bahnhof in 2004 to be a writer, columnist, activist, and speaker. He authored papers for think-tank Timbro on the ever-increasing demands for surveillance and blocking of internet traffic. Mr Swartz has a degree from Stockholm School of Economics before entering a PhD program as a Fulbright Fellow at Columbia University in New York. He also has an MSc in Psychology, Culture and Evolution from Brunel University of London, and an MSc in Gender Studies from Umeå University.
Dr Petra Östergren
Board of Trustees
Dr Petra Östergren is a writer and anthropologist who has published extensively on freedom of speech issues. A well known critic of the consensus culture in feminist politics, Dr Östergren is one of few public intellectuals who support sex workers’ rights in Sweden. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from Lund University, where she researched morality politics and the governance of prostitution in Sweden’s ban on sex-purchase. Dr Östergren has a background in martial arts and self defense for women, and believes in individual empowering outside of the state.
In Memoriam: Dr Love Ekenberg
Former: Board of Trustees
5July mourns board member Love Ekenberg who passed away on Sep 19, 2022.
Professor Love Ekenberg has a PhD in Computer and Systems Sciences as well as a PhD in Mathematics. Currently he is a Senior Research Scholar at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria. He is Professor in Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV) at Stockholm University, and was earlier Professor in Societal Planning and Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm.
Contact
info AT 5july.org
Optional PGP key, fingerprint: F6E3 61DC FB70 6E0D 3768 5A23 AEE1 E2FE A282 6DAA
