The Incredible End to the WikiLeaks Saga

Search the term WikiLeaks in Google Images, and the logo of the hourglass with a leaking Earth inside might give you a hint or two about what this provocative media organization is all about. This curious emblem symbolizes the way the Earth is being replaced by a seemingly new one, drop by drop, alluding to how WikiLeaks publishes censored and classified information from governments and corporations to reveal the truth about our world.

WikiLeaks might sound a lot like commonly used information sites like Wikipedia or wikiHow, but these serve much tamer functions as an online encyclopedia and step-by-step guidebook, respectively. We can use them to look through a list of rivers of the Falkland Islands or how to make a cat and dog get along, but head over to WikiLeaks, and you’ll find a catalog of exposés that run deep.

The inflammatory nature of the site and the documents released to the public have completely transformed how we see transparency in global affairs. After almost two decades of activity, the platform has become dormant due to Julian Assange’s imprisonment and the potential danger to whistleblowers.

How Did WikiLeaks Come About?

There’s one man’s name that is synonymously associated with WikiLeaks, and that’s Julian Assange, an Australian activist and publisher and the founder of the platform. He was drawn into the hacker community but devoted his time and skill towards what is now termed “hacktivism“ – hacking with the purpose of promoting social change or human rights. Since the age of 16, he has been entirely dedicated to uncovering government and corporate wrongdoings and intel. His “career” has been decorated with ups and downs, lending his craft to the Victoria Police Child Exploitation Unit but also facing serious hacking charges until he struck a plea deal.

All these incidents and his passion for social justice led to the founding of WikiLeaks, which effectively shortened the gap between a leak and its coverage in the media. Its servers soon spread like wildfire, and other founders and organizers from numerous countries became involved in the project. Naturally, the manpower kept the site running like a well-oiled machine, but the WikiLeaks saga wasn’t without its hitches.

For one, there were infinite controversies over the publication of these sensitive documents and much criticism over the ethics of this whole operation. With such a complex operation on the line, there were also internal conflicts about everything from strategy and operations, leading to staff quitting and a ton of instability within the organization.

WikiLeaks notably leaked the Afghan War Diary in 2010, which consisted of over 91,000 classified US military reports that covered incidents in Afghanistan, including intelligence information and lethal military actions. There was also Vault 7 in 2017, which detailed various CIA hacking techniques that targeted popular smartphones and routers, making citizens feel vulnerable about their security and privacy. In 2014, Sony Pictures was also hacked, and all their internal emails, employee data, and unreleased film content were released to the public. This not only exposed the company and challenged its esteemed reputation but hammered home the reality of digital vulnerability.

The Fiery Conclusion

Although WikiLeaks has been commended for its role in challenging “the man,” it also played a detrimental part in a variety of controversial situations. They’ve blatantly revealed sensitive information like social security numbers and credit card details and spread misinformation and biases. Even more dire, they promoted conspiracy theories, undercut the Clinton campaign, compromised national security, and endangered lives.

After all these years, it became apparent WikiLeaks was about to meet its end. Julian Assange had been arrested and spent time in the Ecuadorian Embassy, his record was cluttered with charges and indictments, and the US was requesting his extradition. He was incarcerated in London between 2019 and 2024, and most recently, in June 2024, agreed to a plea deal with United States prosecutors. Despite prison time and the seriousness of his charges, he was let go and departed for Canberra without any serious consequences.

While WikiLeaks started as a vigilante effort by Assange and championed the public’s right to know, there was collateral damage in every aspect of the phrase. Aside from those colossal instances, the site and its discoveries made people increasingly nervous about their everyday online activities, whether expressing themselves on social media or just signing up for one of the top social casino sites. There were far-reaching effects that have effectively changed our world today.

The fact that it seemed like Assange got off scot-free in some way or another sparked substantial public debate about his actions and what justice meant in general. In the end, did the good of his actions outweigh the bad, or was none of it justified? Could we argue that the truths and secrets he exposed mean that he deserves support and protection? Or does the damage done mean he should be held accountable? WikiLeaks has been nothing but dichotomous – and that in itself led to its incredible end.

WikiLeaks still exists online, with plenty of leaked documents still accessible. However, with the legal challenges and government pressure, most of the content on the site has been removed or redacted. The organization fell out of the spotlight as the novelty of large-scale leaks wasn’t new to the public anymore. Society realized that these big organizations would never be fully transparent, but that this realization wasn’t enough to truly address systemic issues and promote real change.