Explain what WikiLeaks is, how it operates, and what its goal is.

What will be an ideal response?

WikiLeaks, which was launched in December 2006, is a site that specializes in protecting government and corporate whistle-blowers. Imagine that you discovered a document at your work that proved the company's leadership was engaged in significant unethical behavior. Furthermore, imagine that you decide you need to blow the whistle on this behavior. How would you go about it? In the past, one common route was to share the incriminating documents with an investigative journalist. The journalist acts as a firewall between you and the authorities; most journalists hold to a code of ethics that says that they will not identify their sources, even if it is clear that the source has committed a crime. Journalists sometimes go to prison rather than reveal their sources. The problem with this approach today is that it is very hard to share an electronic document with a journalist without leaving traces that law enforcement (or corporate security) officers can follow. Most journalists don't have the necessary computer security and hacking skills to actually safeguard the anonymity of their sources. WikiLeaks' goal is to provide exactly this kind of technical expertise. It provides a secure electronic drop box, and tips on how to submit documents that will prevent the leaker from being traced. WikiLeaks then provides the submitted documents to journalists. In the past, it has partnered with the New York Times, the Guardian (in the United Kingdom), and Der Spiegel (in Germany), among others.