Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Weak Links and WikiLeaks: How Control of Critical Internet Resources and Social Media Companies’ Business Models Undermine the Networked Free Press

  • Chapter
Beyond WikiLeaks

Abstract

In his seminal piece on WikiLeaks, Yochai Benkler (2011; also see Benkler’s chapter in this volume) makes a compelling case for why WikiLeaks is a vital element of the networked fourth estate and why we should view its harsh treatment by the US government as a threat to the free press. As he says, the case embodies a struggle for the soul of the Internet, a battle that is being waged through both legal and extralegal means, with major corporate actors — Apple, Amazon, eBay (Paypal), Bank of America (Visa), Mastercard, etc. — using their control over critical Internet resources to lean in heavily on the side of the state and against WikiLeaks.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Apple removes iPhone WikiLeaks app from iTunes. BBC, December 22, 2010. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-12059577 (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • Arthur, C. (January 8, 2011). WikiLeaks Under Attack: Definitive Timeline. The Guardian,. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/07/WikiLeaks-under-attack-definitive-timeline (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball, J. (April 20, 2012). Battle for the Internet: The Guardian’s Open 20 — Fighters for Internet Freedom. The Guardian. Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/20/twenty-fighters-open-internet (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Benkler, Y. (2011). A Free Irresponsible Press: WikiLeaks and the Battle over the Soul of the Networked Fourth Estate. Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review. http://benkler.org/Benkler_WikiLeaks_current.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • Benkler, Y. (March 4, 2009). Correspondence: A new era of corruption? The New Republic. http://www.tnr.com/article/correspondence-new-era-corruption (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Calame, B. (January 1, 2006). Behind the eavesdropping story, a loud silence. New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/opinion/o1publiceditor.html (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Deibert, R. and Rohozinski, R. (2010). Beyond Denial: Introducing Next-Generation Information Access Controls. In R. J. Deibert, J. G. Palfrey, R. Rohozinski and J. Zittrain (eds) Access Controlled. Cambridge: MIT Press, pp. 1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Gongrijp, R. (January 8, 2011). US DOJ wants my twitter account into. Available at: http://rop.gonggri.jp/?p=442 (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Intra-Parliamentary Union (October 19, 2011). Case No. IS/Ol — Birgitta Jónsdóttir: Resolution adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 189th session http://www.ipu.org/hr-e/189/Is01.htm (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • La Rue, F. (2011) Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. United Nations Human Rights Council, Seventeenth session Agenda item 3, A/HRC/17/27 of 17 May 2011. Available at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/17session/A.HRC.17.27_en.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman, Senator J. (2010). Amazon Severs Ties with WikiLeaks. Press Release. http://lieberman.senate.gov/index. cfm/news-events/news/2010/12/amazon-s evers-ties-with-WikiLeaks (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • McCullagh, D. (Jan. 11, 2011). European politicos protest DOJ WikiLeaks-Twitter probe. Wired. Available at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20028239-281.htm1?tag=n1.e703 (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, M. (2010). Networks and States. Cambridge, MA: MIT

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Nissenbaum, H. (2011). A Contextual Approach to Privacy Online. Daedalus, 140(4), 32–48. http://www.amacad.org/publications/daedalus/11_fall_nissen-baum.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noam, E. (2012). International Media Concentration — United States. International Media Concentration Research Project, Columbia University, New York. Available at: http://internationalmedia.pbwiki.com/ (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Risen, J. and Lichtblau, E. (December 16, 2005). Bush lets US Spy on Callers Without Courts. New York Times. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/politics/16program.html?pagewanted=all (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • Soghoian, C. (November 2, 2011). Two honest Google employees: our products don’t protect your privacy. Slight Paranoia. http://paranoia.dubfire.net/2011/11/two-honest-google-employees-our.html (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • United States (2008). Foreign Intelligence Security Act of 1978 Amendment Act of 2008. Available at: http://intelligence.senate.gov/laws/p1110261.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • United States, Congressional Research Service (2004). Information Warfare and Cyberwarfare: Capabilities and Related Policy Issues. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Available at http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA477185 (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • United States, Department of Defense (2003). Information Operations Roadmap. Washington, D.C. Available at: http://www.gwu.edu/-nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB177/info_ops_roadmap.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • United States, District Court of Eastern Virginia (2011a). In re. Application of the United States of America for an Order pursuant to 18 U.S.0 §2703(d): Memorandum and Opinion. Available at: http://t.co/ZdzGQiIQ (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2011b). Amnesty International et. al. vs. James P. Clapper, Director, National Intelligence, et. al. Available at: http://dwmw.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/aclu-v-clapper.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • United States, District Court of Eastern Virginia (December 14, 2010). In re. Application of the United States of America for an Order pursuant to 18 U.S.0 §2703(d): Order. Available at: https://www.eff.org/sites/default/files/filenode/dorders_twitter/34%20USA%20Position%20Re%20Unsealing%20 Records%20as%20to%20Appelbaum%20et%20al.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • United States, District Court of Eastern District or Michigan (August 17, 2006). American Civil Liberties Union, et. al. v. National Security Agency, et. al. (2006). Memorandum Opinion. Case No. 06-CV-10204. Available at: http://cryptome.org/aclu-nsa-2.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

  • WikiLeaks (October 24, 2011). WikiLeaks: Banking Blockade and Donations Campaign. Available at: http://WikiLeaks.org/IMG/pdf/WikiLeaks-Banking-Blockade-Information-Pack.pdf (last visited, July 12, 2012)

    Google Scholar 

  • WikiLeaks Press (n.d.). Accolades. http://WiktLeaks-press.org/category/latest-news/accolades/ (last visited, July 12, 2012)

Download references

Authors
  1. Dwayne Winseck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Journalism, City University, London, UK

    Benedetta Brevini (Lecturer in Media Policy) (Lecturer in Media Policy)

  2. School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, Cardiff University, UK

    Arne Hintz (Lecturer) (Lecturer)

  3. Department of Communication, University of Ottawa, Canada

    Patrick McCurdy (Assistant Professor) (Assistant Professor)

Copyright information

© 2013 Dwayne Winseck

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Winseck, D. (2013). Weak Links and WikiLeaks: How Control of Critical Internet Resources and Social Media Companies’ Business Models Undermine the Networked Free Press. In: Brevini, B., Hintz, A., McCurdy, P. (eds) Beyond WikiLeaks. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137275745_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation