2. Why I Chose WikiLeaks?
One of the latest and most controversial
events going on right now
Wanted to learn more about topic
3. What is WikiLeaks Anyways??!
• Whistle-blowing website-tells the public or someone
in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities
occurring in a government or company.
• international non-profit organization started domain
name in October of 2006.
• “As of June 2009, the site had over 1,200 registered
volunteers and listed an advisory board comprising
Assange and eight other people."
• dominated the news, because of steady drip feed of
secret documents, but also because of the head man
Julian Assange.
4. • In November, 2010, WikiLeaks, with the help of
chief global media organizations, released "U.S
State department diplomatic cables"(Mitchell, 1)
to the public who knew how to use peer-to-peer
file sharing protocols, like Bittorrent.
• April 2010, they posted video US Apache
helicopter killing at least 12 people - including
two Reuters journalists - during an attack in
Baghdad in 2007.
5. WikiLeak’s goal
• "to bring important news and information to
the public. . . One of our most important
activities is to publish original source material
alongside our news stories so readers and
historians alike can see evidence of the truth."
6. Some Leaks
• Pope Benedict XVI impeded an investigation into
alleged child sex abuse within the Catholic Church
in Ireland.
• The Saudis, contrary to their public statements,
want us to bomb Iran. So do some other
countries in the region—or so they say in private.
• Israel destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.
• The Saudis, our allies, are among the leading
funders of international terrorism.
8. Julian Assange
• WikiLeaks spokesperson and chief editor
• considers himself an "information activist“
• has been the target of U.S prosecution, along
with execution and assassination threats by
politicians as well.
• sexual misconduct charge
9. Latest on Assange
• Swedish authorities want to question him over
accusations of rape and sexual assault made by
two female former WikiLeaks volunteers in
August 2010.
• Assange, who has been living in Britain since his
arrest there December last year, denies
wrongdoing.
• He can now take his year-long legal fight to
Britain's Supreme Court, the highest court in the
land.
10. If WikiLeaks shuts down?
• Has giant “insurance” files
• Ready to release upon shutdown
• Claims it will likely do a lot of damage
• The U.S. Department of Defense aware, but has been
unable to establish its contents.
• It has been available for download since July.
• One of the key files available for download — named
insurance.aes256 — appears to be encrypted with a 256-
digit key. Experts say it is virtually unbreakable.
• If password is released, anyone can read it
11. ¿Good or Bad?
• WikiLeaks may be flawed, but it is an
innovator
• Some do not agree with its goals to induce
fear in governments
• Some believe it will not last long, but the
concept will last
12. • Finding the balance is an important approach
to consider; knowing too much information
can potentially be just as harmful as being too
secretive. Instead of fighting each other with
impossible goals of eradicating one
another, working together to find a balance is
much more reasonable approach
