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0 pointsdeanCommie9y ago0 comments

In a situation like this, you as the leaker have a lot more to lose than whoever you're leaking to.

In that situation, I'm sorry, but the responsibility for protecting your identity is on you. Anonymize the data. Do not leak something that only you would have access to. etc, etc.

Because unless you're leaking to Infowars, you have to expect that a legitimate journalist will present your data to the organization from which you leaked it to, and request comment.

Snoweden did everything right, and it still wasn't good enough.

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6 comments · 3 top-level

lotso9y ago· 3 in thread

I think everyone would agree the leaker should be more cautious, but The Intercept should also know best practices too around printed materials too.

tanderson929y ago

I think everyone would agree with that. The question then becomes: did The Intercept not follow best practices here? Once again, there is no evidence and any "yes" answer relies on trusting the NSA/DOJ.

ceejayoz9y ago

> The question then becomes: did The Intercept not follow best practices here?

If removing well-known, uniquely identifying printer microdots isn't a best practice, it should be.

1 more reply

florean9y ago

They did not. They told a government contractor that the document had been printed and mailed from Augusta, GA, who then reported it to the government. That's what got her, microdots or not.

You can read the search warrant at https://www.buzzfeed.com/stevenperlberg/a-federal-government..., which is more complete than the arrest warrant. Just read paragraphs 12-19, which cover the relevant probable cause. If the FBI don't know how it leaked (printed) and from where (Winner's home town), the case becomes extremely difficult. Instead, they had so much that she just confessed when they showed up.

krrrh9y ago

> Snowden did everything right, and it still wasn't good enough.

But Snowden's whole strategy was to be a public figure. He fled the country and had a documentary filmmaker record the handover of the documents. It looks like Winning was hoping to remain private and had no idea what she was doing.

DennisP9y ago

We don't really know, it might have been good enough.

> Snowden's identity was made public by The Guardian at his request on June 9, 2013.[97] He explained: "I have no intention of hiding who I am because I know I have done nothing wrong."[20] He added that by revealing his identity he hoped to protect his colleagues from being subjected to a hunt to determine who had been responsible for the leaks.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden#Motivations

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