Essay on WikiLeaks: Changing the World

Some believe that the website simply provides classified information without fully thinking of the consequences of their actions. Politicians, like Hillary Clinton, do not the support the idea of having political secrets dispensed and have spoken up, claiming that “WikiLeaks’ revelations ‘tear at the fabric at of the proper function of responsible government’” (Hillary Clinton qtd. in Singer 465). These accusations are not truly accurate and appear to be biased in favor of a secretive central administration. The allegation that the site “releases documents ‘without regard for the consequences’ is, if not deliberately misleading, woefully ignorant,” especially considering that the site has deliberately stated why they leak their information and know what they are doing (Singer 465). There have been several valuable outcomes of the knowledge that WikiLeaks has given to the public. An example is when the site released details about the corrupt leaders in Tunisia, leading to a successful revolution that “undoubtedly influenced the rest of the Arab World” (Singer 466). After that, the same people that claimed that WikiLeaks was terrible suddenly seemed to be changing sides. Even Hillary Clinton herself, after she had said that the site was careless, was “speaking warmly about one of those outcomes; the movement for reform in the Middle East” (Singer 467). This event just shows how truly helpful sharing information can be, notably when they are government

Founded in 2006 by Australian journalist Julian Assange, the website WikiLeaks had quickly risen in infamy over the past few years (Majerol 19). The controversial website had posted hundreds of thousands of classified documents about the Iraq and Afghanistan war, revealing government cover-ups, a secret assassination unit and the killing of civilians among many things. The release of these confidential documents has produced two opposing views on whether or not WikiLeaks is a good thing (Pilger 18).

The Internet is one of the most widespread ways to exchange data, and a website called WikiLeaks has received a great amount of attention from the knowledge it releases. The details they give are known to be confidential and provide society with an inside view on what is really happening behind of the closed doors of the federal government. The site is based on the “belief that a more transparent government will bring better consequences for all, and that leaking information has an inherent tendency toward greater justice” (Singer 465). WikiLeaks gives its readers a way to honestly know all the significant facts and records that are purposefully kept away from

Edward Snowden was formerly part of the National Security Agency (NSA). Snowden leaked documents that detailed how Americans were being observed, including the PRISM program. The United States has filed multiple charges against Snowden and he has since found asylum in Russia. Four Reasons why Snowden’s actions should be considered ethical are: 1. Snowden was trying to protect the rights of the American people and make sure everyone is being treated equally.

Assange said of the information his organization releases: “None of it is dangerous. Vastly more detailed things have been released by the United States government itself. By Congress, for example, who a year and a half ago released a list of all US nuclear sites”. Wikileaks also refuses to claim responsibility for the actual information, saying they only act as a publisher of information, never producing any themselves. They claim their only job is to ensure the information’s legitimacy and put it out there. Their legality is wholly debatable for most, but Assange says “Revealing illegal behaviour is, in most countries, not illegal.” Supporters also argue it should not be illegal at all. But Wikileaks is a symbol now, and it is most likely the spirit of the nature of their work will live

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson walked beside her, along with a group of American security guards. They finally arrived at their destination, a tall tan building that looked completely ordinary. They were escorted to a room by some kind of Russian security. The doors opened and Cynthia looked inside to see a white table and sitting at one end was the one and only Edward Snowden. He had pale skin, brown eyes, and a thin pair of glasses that seemed to make him look even more like a geek, if that is possible. Snowden had been in Russia since 2013, seeking temporary asylum there after exposing NSA surveillance tactics. It is still unknown if he will be able to return.

Is the government trustworthy and is whistleblowing an ethical practice are the two major questions that have been surfaced throughout the recent years. Just the past several years, Edward Snowden released unauthorized intelligence documents detailing the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance on its on population that led to numerous reactions and questions towards the agency’s activities. Meanwhile, the attitude towards Snowden’s action remain mixed. Many perceive him as a hero while others believe that he is a traitor for releasing the private disclosure. The question remain if the unauthorized disclosure of classified information was justified. In order to determine whether Snowden’s action was justified, this paper will analyze if his actions meet the criteria suggest by Rahul Sagar.

Snowden has been charged with two counts of violating the Espionage Act and has stolen government property and can therefore be charged for up to 30 years in prison by the federal prosecutors in Virginia (NY Times, 2013). He is on the run from the American authorities, and the White house spokesman, Jay Carney said, “He is not a human rights activist. He is not a dissident” (NY Times, 2013). This meaning, that Edward Snowden should be seen as a criminal, a spy.

Wikileaks is an organization that seeks out corrupt or unjust organizations that try to conceal the truth. This whistleblower organization is feared by government operations because they hold valuable

‘WikiLeaks and the Iraq War Logs’ had shocked the population across the globe, leaving a tragic imprint in our minds from the 400,000 classified logs. Bradley Manning, the leaker, wanted to ‘change the world for the better’. However, the word ‘better’ have caused unlimited questions to be raised, which allowed us to reassess the impact it had put out into the world. Views were varied through different perceptions, whether it was better or worst for the society. Nonetheless, in order to judge the statement that Private Manning had made in the most rational way, the use of ethics may have to be applied.

Wikileaks, cofounded in 2006 by editor in chief Julian Assange, is a site designed to announce and publicize sensitive information. The goal of Wikileaks is to provide protection for journalists, citizens, and anyone who might need to be protected from the free based or sensitive information they upload to the site. Wikileaks is protected by a network of software, anonymous postal drops, and lawyers, operating on a policy of secrecy to keep all of its posters safe from possible reprisals.

Claimed by its founder to be a non-profit organization/website, Wikileaks was firstly launched in 2006. Some call it an open government group that enables public witnessing (Nayar, 2011; Rosewall & Warren, 2010), while others see it as a representation of a new type of “sovereignty in the global political and economy sphere” (Bodó, 2011, p. 3). The website uses the term “wiki” which was followed after Wikipedia due to its anonymous contributors and

WikiLeaks believes that only with complete transparency can digital democracy be achieved. In pursuit of a wholesome political environment, the existence of a ‘healthy, vibrant and inquisitive journalistic media’ is imperative – WikiLeaks is therefore established to enhance public scrutiny. (WikiLeaks.org, 2006) As creator Julian Assange himself proclaimed, the organization is about putting scientific journalism into practice. This leads to the discussion of how journalists today ought to shoulder the responsibility of the Fourth Estate by means of investigative reporting. The conventional idea of investigative journalism comprises unearthing and crosschecking facts, and backgrounding them into an understandable discourse. Lovink and Riemens argue that WikiLeaks does the first, asserts to fulfil the second and neglects the third. (Lovink and Riemens, 2010) This allegation is further supported by Greene’s concept (as cited in Schultz 1998, p. 58), which stated that investigative journalism is only formulated when effort in research and original work of the reporter is involved. While the audience is given the

These leaks are excellent examples of secrets that are truly deserving to be kept. Not everyone has a right to know everything, no matter what they think. Lives being put in danger to assure oneself of their self-proclaimed inherent rights is a full breach of ethical behavior. In the words of former embassy worker Steve, “If people are afraid to talk to me, and if I'm afraid to. . . be honest in my assessment of the information I send back to Washington, it effectively blinds

In some societies such as Tunisia, wikileaks has been so helpful that their fight has gone from virtual to physical. This is Wikileaks utopia, where a population gets together and embraces the fight against their government in order to defend their rights as a country. In Tunisia people did go out to protest and stand for their freedom of speech right, and all this began in the web.