Julian Assange: Why the world needs WikiLeaks

Summary

In this TED Talk, Julian Assange discusses the mission of WikiLeaks to release classified documents and promote transparency. He explains the methods used to protect whistleblowers and ensure document legitimacy, highlighting the impact of their releases on political events, such as the Kenyan election and the Baghdad airstrike video. Assange also addresses the ethical considerations and potential risks of leaking sensitive information, emphasizing the importance of free speech and the role of WikiLeaks in holding powerful entities accountable.

Takeaways

• 📰 Julian Assange founded WikiLeaks, which has released more classified documents than the rest of the world's media combined, raising concerns about the state of investigative journalism.
• 🔒 WikiLeaks uses advanced encryption and legal jurisdictions to protect the identity of whistleblowers and the security of the documents they release.
• 🔎 The organization vets documents like a regular news organization, ensuring their legitimacy before releasing them to the public.
• 🤝 Assange emphasizes that WikiLeaks rarely knows the identity of its sources and actively destroys such information to maintain anonymity.
• 🗳️ The release of the Kroll Report had a significant impact on Kenya's political landscape, potentially influencing an election outcome.
• 💥 The Baghdad airstrike video released by WikiLeaks caused widespread outrage, highlighting the disparity in force used by military personnel.
• 🔗 The alleged source of the video and cables, U.S. intelligence analyst Bradley Manning, was arrested, but WikiLeaks denies receiving the alleged 280,000 cables from him.
• 🌐 Assange's philosophy is that information concealed by organizations is a signal that its release could lead to positive change and reform.
• 🚨 WikiLeaks has a harm immunization policy to handle documents containing personal information, aiming to protect individuals while exposing truths.
• 🌍 The impact of leaked materials is felt globally, influencing public opinion and potentially policy, as seen in the case of the Baghdad airstrike video.
• 🏴‍☠️ Assange's background includes a nomadic childhood and early involvement in journalism and activism, shaping his approach to information freedom.

Q & A

What is the claim made about WikiLeaks in the opening of the conversation?

The claim is that WikiLeaks has released more classified documents in the last few years than the rest of the world's media combined.

How does Julian Assange describe the typical source of information for WikiLeaks?

Julian describes the sources as classical whistleblowers who use various methods to get information to WikiLeaks, including state-of-the-art encryption and regular postal mail.

What is the purpose of using encryption and passing information through certain legal jurisdictions according to Assange?

The purpose is to hide trails, pass information securely, and enact legal protections in jurisdictions like Sweden and Belgium.

How does WikiLeaks ensure the legitimacy of the documents they release?

WikiLeaks vets the documents like a regular news organization, formats them, and releases them to the public while being prepared to defend against legal and political attacks.

What is WikiLeaks' policy regarding the identity of their sources?

WikiLeaks rarely knows the identity of their sources, and if they ever find out, they destroy that information as soon as possible to maintain anonymity.