Whistleblowers’ haven
Wikileaks.org, launched earlier this year, uses cryptography and other techniques to ensure the anonymity of those wanting to leak confidential documents.
Based on the same software and design as user-generated encyclopaedia Wikipedia, Wikileaks already has 1,2m documents on its website. The site was founded by Chinese dissidents, as well as journalists, mathematicians and technologists from the US, Taiwan, Europe, Australia and SA. The founders are not named as some are refugees from repressive countries with families still in those countries; others are journalists who may be banned from entering those countries for work if their affiliation were known.
Wikileaks describes itself as an “uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis” with the aim of exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. “We also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behaviour in their governments and corporations.”
Of course, Wikileaks is open to the same sort of abuse that has tainted Wikipedia. What’s to stop a government agency or anyone else from uploading false documents to Wikileaks? “Peddlers of misinformation will find themselves undone by Wikileaks, equipped as it is to scrutinise leaked documents in a way that no mainstream media outlet is capable of,” it says.
Sadly, there are few SA documents on the website. There is nothing related to the controversial multibillion-rand arms deal. And searches using terms such as “Imvume Management”, “Chancellor House” and “Jackie Selebi” also turn up nothing.
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