Tell me about WikiLeaks

[NobleSavage]

This basics:

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit, journalistic organisation, which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Wikipedia
Founder: Julian Assange
Founded: October 4, 2006, Iceland
Awards: Amnesty International UK Digital Media Award, Economist New Media Award

I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

 

[bilby]

I could tell you, but I would have to kill you...

 

[tupac chopra]

This basics:

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit, journalistic organisation, which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Wikipedia
Founder: Julian Assange
Founded: October 4, 2006, Iceland
Awards: Amnesty International UK Digital Media Award, Economist New Media Award

I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

What sort of false information do you think they might fall for and release?
I tend to suspect it has been tried.

 

[untermensche]

It is governments massively spreading disinformation.

And they are throwing anybody who tells about it in jail.

As far as I know WikiLeaks has not thrown anybody in jail for exposing disinformation from it.

If there are lies coming from WikiLeaks there is no force trying to keep that fact hidden.

 

[Nice Squirrel]

Wikileaks just posts what they receive. They do not necessarily source the material.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

This basics:

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit, journalistic organisation, which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Wikipedia
Founder: Julian Assange
Founded: October 4, 2006, Iceland
Awards: Amnesty International UK Digital Media Award, Economist New Media Award

I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

Actually the media would be the best way to do that. Look at Fox News.

 

[Jayjay]

I think there is inherent safety in publishing massive amount of information at the same time. Suppose some government wanted to use wikileaks to spread misinformation... they'd have to release thousands of pages of legit information to go with it, to make it credible. Which means, they either have to leak their own secrets, which is unlikely, or they would have to somehow get their hands on data from another country and then pretend to leak that out to wikileaks. Neither seems like a very likely scenario.

 

[Togo]

Wikileaks themselves don't vet the information themselves, but it does get looked at by a very large number of people. In general they only publish substantial leaks with multiple corroborating sources of information. That doesn't make it immune to misinformation, if an organised group had enough resources and determination and inside information, but it's far less prone to it than news reports or government ministers, or presidents.

 

[dismal]

This basics:

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit, journalistic organisation, which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Wikipedia
Founder: Julian Assange
Founded: October 4, 2006, Iceland
Awards: Amnesty International UK Digital Media Award, Economist New Media Award

I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

Yes, this is exactly why so many advocates of transparency and openness don't object to high ranking government officials keeping sensitive information on homebrew servers in their own personal mansion.

 

[tupac chopra]

Wikileaks just posts what they receive. They do not necessarily source the material.

I doubt they post everything they receive

 

[Loren Pechtel]

This basics:

WikiLeaks is an international, non-profit, journalistic organisation, which publishes secret information, news leaks, and classified media from anonymous sources. Wikipedia
Founder: Julian Assange
Founded: October 4, 2006, Iceland
Awards: Amnesty International UK Digital Media Award, Economist New Media Award

I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

How could they vet them??

The problem with them is that they leak things they shouldn't (technical information which is only of use to the bad guys) if doing so would harm America. This shows they aren't as neutral as they pretend to be.

 

[Jayjay]

I think the question in the thread was not whether Wikileaks is neutral, which it obviously isn't, but whether someone else (say an enemy state, or a political party) could use wikileaks to disseminate misinformation.

 

[NobleSavage]

This basics:



I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

How could they vet them??

The problem with them is that they leak things they shouldn't (technical information which is only of use to the bad guys) if doing so would harm America. This shows they aren't as neutral as they pretend to be.

Traditionally, journalists vetted stuff. I'm assuming they claim they deserve the same protection that is given to journalists? I realize these are two different issues, but it's interesting to juxtapose them. Also, I wasn't just thinking of the government(s). Seems like WikiLeaks would be a great way to achieve any number of nefarious objectives.

- - - Updated - - -

I think the question in the thread was not whether Wikileaks is neutral, which it obviously isn't, but whether someone else (say an enemy state, or a political party) could use wikileaks to disseminate misinformation.

Yes.

 

[NobleSavage]

This basics:



I've never really followed the Assange drama too closely and I'm not interested in that. What I want to know is do they vet the anonymous leaks? Right now they have leaked info on the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Trade In Services Agreement. Which got me thinking: WikiLeaks would be a great way to spread disinformation..

Actually the media would be the best way to do that. Look at Fox News.

Or MSNBC.