Whistleblowers need our help – let's move on from WikiLeaks bickering

Entrenched views about Assange mustn't prevent a debate about source protection, accountability and banking blockades
James Ball
Monday 9 July 2012 05.25 EDT

... The subjects involved are serious: transparency, extradition, fair justice, international law. But the debates themselves are trivial: after 18 months of wrangling in blogs, on social media, and at times in print, only a small rump remain – and their minds are made up. The neutrals moved on long ago ...

A better idea, then, is to draw a line and move the discussions on – and there are important conversations to have.

One of these is how best to protect whistleblowers. The act of submission to WikiLeaks, a similar site, or even a journalist is but one link in a long chain. A whistleblower's own work and home computer will leave traces, as might his or her behaviour, as might social or legal pressures. Secure submission alone – and even this has been non-existent for almost two years – doesn't come close to solving these issues. There is undoubtedly more that can be done ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/09/whistleblowers-wikileaks-bickering-assange