US blocks access to WikiLeaks for federal workers

The Obama administration is banning hundreds of thousands of federal employees from calling up the WikiLeaks site on government computers because the leaked material is still formally regarded as classified.

The Library of Congress tonight joined the education department, the commerce department and other government agencies in confirming that the ban is in place.

Although thousands of leaked cables are freely available on the Guardian, New York Times and other newspaper websites, as well as the WikiLeaks site, the Obama administration insists they are still classified and, as such, have to be protected.

The move comes at a time when civil rights and other liberal groups are becoming increasingly critical, inviting parallels with the kind of bans on information imposed by China and other oppressive governments.

The Library of Congress, one of the biggest libraries in the world, serving both Congress and the public, and essentially the library of record for the US, issued a statement tonight, which read: "The library decided to block WikiLeaks because applicable law obligates federal agencies to protect classified information. Unauthorised disclosures of classified documents do not alter the documents' classified status or automatically result in declassification of the documents."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/03/wikileaks-cables-blocks-access-federal

Hah, a nation, hell world, of criminals. The PIC will be pleased.

Just because he said it doesn't mean he meant it. :rofl:

yep, tell a kid to NOT look in the secret box... and guess what the one thing they absolutely become obsessed with doing?


you got it

thank god everything is already in Press hands - and they will be readily available to browse

:rofl:

The statement from the LC is indeed correct. Federal agencies are required to protect classified information. The information, despite it's public release, is still classified. Those with a security clearance can't go to Wikileaks without causing an incident. Theoretically, their computer would have to be 'cleansed'.

Banning access resolves a great deal of headaches, only applies to federally-owned systems, and most importantly complies with the law. If you don't like it, work on changing the law.

There are LAWS that would make me think twice about permitting ANY unauthorized access to classified data from a government network. There are government workers that have a need to know but the IT department can't make that call.