The Ethics of WikiLeaks

“‘An authoritarian conspiracy that cannot think efficiently cannot act to preserve itself against the opponents it induces,’ concluded [WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange]. That is, he believed that he could break governments by siphoning the secrets that nourish them. But something like the opposite may be the case: if WikiLeaks cannot learn to think efficiently about its publishing choices, it will risk failure, not only because of the governmental opponents it has induced but also because so far it lacks an ethical culture that is consonant with the ideals of free media.”