A unique case of “bullying” that’s outside the norm can be found in the behavior of WikiLeaks. Obviously, their organization functions outside of the law, but the argument they make is that their information leaks serve the public good. It’s worth it to weigh that argument without taking either side; however, it’s also important to note whether or not WikiLeaks maintains the same balance that the media should in terms of political criticism and objectivity. In the past, WikiLeaks has both revealed and hidden sensitive information that put people in harm’s way, and the flip-flopping doesn’t exactly speak well of them. However, the most recent DNC leak is problematic. Yes, the information was in the public interest. However, the high probability of Russian involvement in procuring this info, linked with Julian Assange’s close ties with Russia and documented dislike for Hillary Clinton, beg the question – is this the most bizarre form of cyber-bullying in history? If not, I ask the simple question – why has there been no attempted hack of Trump’s campaign or the RNC? I’m not advocating hacks of any kind, but it is interesting that WikiLeaks, which purports to be all about transparency, fails to point that own scrutiny at itself. You can read a well-written op-ed about this in The New York Times by documentarian Alex Gibney.
Image: Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. Image Credit: John Stillwell, Reuters.