Wikileaks ends up leaking its own internal information

by Steve Ragan - Feb 20 2009, 20:11

Wikileaks is known for leaking internal documents, memos, and other information that some would want to remain private, and others think that the world needs to know. Earlier this week, Wikileaks was forced to test their own policy, and leak the email addresses of fifty-eight donors.

“WikiLeaks leaks its own donors, aww irony. BCC next time kthx,” reads the description of the leaked email on the Wikileaks website. The email is a plea for donations urging those on the list to donate so that Wikileaks would not face closing down for short period while funds and other monies are diverted to legal costs.

“The document presents an email from Wikileaks to 58 of its donors on valentines day. The sender of the email did not use BCC (Blind Carbon Copy), so all recipients of the message appeared in the "To:" field, consequently showing the email identities of these donors to each other,” Wikileaks said.

“A prankster, apparently connected to one of the donors, then submitted this list to Wikileaks, possibly to test the project's principles of complete impartiality when dealing with whistleblowers.”

While the description is correct, the disclosure is rife with irony, the fact Wikileaks posted it nevertheless is true to their mission statement. However, in all of the press coverage surrounding the leak of donor information, there have been no comments on if the donors have since stopped working with the organization or requested being removed from the list.

Most of the email addresses are obviously drop boxes, while other appear to be personal home addresses.

The one stress point that can be made comes from Wikileaks themselves. The error that caused the email addresses to be disclosed, ultimately resulting to them being exposed to the world as a whole, will not and should not discourage others from wanting to submit information to the site.

An opinion that seems true. After the list was disclosed, there have been several other leaks on the website.

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