- Dec 5, 2010
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Wikileaks founder Julian Assange talks to members of the media in July. Newspapers, such as the New York Times slammed the group for its mass disclosure of uncensored cables Friday, saying the action could put sources at risk. (Lefteris Pitarakis/AP)
WikiLeaks disclosed its entire archive of U.S. State Department cables Friday, much if not all of it uncensored a move that drew stinging condemnation from major newspapers who in the past collaborated with the anti-secrecy group's efforts to expose corruption and double-dealing.
Identification of dissidents
But now many, and possibly even all, of the cables posted to the WikiLeaks website carried unredacted names, making it easy to identify dissidents in authoritarian countries such as Russia, China or Myanmar.
WikiLeaks staff members have not returned repeated requests for comment sent in the past two days. But in a series of messages on Twitter, the group seemed to suggest that it had no choice but to publish the archive because copies of the document were already circulating online following a security breach.
Amid the latest controversy, the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders said it had temporarily suspended its WikiLeaks "mirror site." Such sites act as carbon-copies of their originals, relieving pressure due to heavy traffic and preserving data in case of attack.
WikiLeaks mass disclosure slammed by newspapers - World - CBC News