Is looking at stuff on WikiLeaks illegal?

[IAmAnarch]

Let's say I find something interesting on WikiLeaks. Could I be arrested or otherwise get in trouble with the law for looking at it? I live in the United States if that makes a difference (Tulsa, OK to be exact).

[Phrea]

You could get blind that way.
Didn't you listen to your parents?

[v1ad]

it's not child porn here.

[Kdar]

what so special about it? (to be illegal)

[Frak]

The constitution protects your rights to reading WikiLeaks, or any website, article, or text you choose.

[Phrea]

To summarize: the answer is no.

[Spike-X]

It's stuff that various governments would rather people not know about. For instance, the video and audio of the US military's totally unjustified murder of an unarmed photographer in Iraq a couple of months ago, including the recording of them gloating as they opened fire on people who rushed to help him.

[KingYaba]

It's not illegal. But definitely frowned upon in certain circumstances.

[Ebere]

Let's say I find something interesting on WikiLeaks. Could I be arrested or otherwise get in trouble with the law for looking at it? I live in the United States if that makes a difference (Tulsa, OK to be exact).

Yes.

[Stancel]

If it's illegal, which I doubt it is, but let's say it is, to visit WikiLeaks. I just visited it right now and I clicked on something on there and looked at it. So if you're going down, I'm going down too.:P

[Bachstelze]

it's not child porn here.

Wikipedia, on the other hand... (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/wikipedia-child-porn-larry-sanger-fbi/)

[IAmAnarch]

The constitution protects your rights to reading WikiLeaks, or any website, article, or text you choose.
Thank you, that was just the answer I needed.

[McRat]

Boy, that is a real toughy.

If there is an image that is illegal to possess (child porn, secret documents, etc), what would happen?

Well, when you browse a site, you are really downloading content. It's not a TV, it's not broadcast at random, you have to make a request for a copy of it.

It will probably end up in the Supreme Court sometime, because I know that if they find kiddy porn in your browser cache, it can be used it court. That's how they fried a Judge a few years ago.

[Dayofswords]

I doubt it. never heard of anyone get in trouble from looking at leaks, its publishing them would have some issues.

(i support wikileaks =p)


If it's illegal, which I doubt it is, but let's say it is, to visit WikiLeaks. I just visited it right now and I clicked on something on there and looked at it. So if you're going down, I'm going down too.:P
I too.

[IAmAnarch]

Wikipedia, on the other hand... (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/wikipedia-child-porn-larry-sanger-fbi/)
That's exactly why I asked - I didn't know if there was a law that is similar to the child porn law I just read about that made you a criminal if you saw something. And if that category was up for three years, those editors must have liked looking at it too much to take it down!

[Ebere]

Let's say I find something interesting on WikiLeaks. Could I be arrested or otherwise get in trouble with the law for looking at it? I live in the United States if that makes a difference (Tulsa, OK to be exact).

Yes.

[IAmAnarch]

Boy, that is a real toughy.

If there is an image that is illegal to possess (child porn, secret documents, etc), what would happen?

Well, when you browse a site, you are really downloading content. It's not a TV, it's not broadcast at random, you have to make a request for a copy of it.

It will probably end up in the Supreme Court sometime, because I know that if they find kiddy porn in your browser cache, it can be used it court. That's how they fried a Judge a few years ago.
Yet another reason why I asked!

[Dayofswords]

Yes.

hey instead of posting and quoting the same thing twice, why not back it up some with more than the 0 words you said to support your answer

[McRat]

I wouldn't worry about it, EXCEPT if you are on a watch list.

In theory the government "sniffs" packets with a supercomputer looking for terrorists. Would WikiLeaks be on the List? I doubt it, but who knows?

I certainly wouldn't do a lot of "How to Make C4" and "Who is selling Plutonium?" web searches if I had a dead body in the closet.

[Phrea]

That's exactly why I asked - I didn't know if there was a law that is similar to the child porn law I just read about that made you a criminal if you saw something. And if that category was up for three years, those editors must have liked looking at it too much to take it down!

I only read half of that quote actually...
Don't get sucked into unfounded theories. It's nonsense.

[Bachstelze]

Yet another reason why I asked!

Nobody here is a lawyer, so all you will get is speculation by people who are not really familiar with the issue at hand.

Talk to a lawyer if you want a serious answer.

[IAmAnarch]

I wouldn't worry about it, EXCEPT if you are on a watch list.

In theory the government "sniffs" packets with a supercomputer looking for terrorists. Would WikiLeaks be on the List? I doubt it, but who knows?

I certainly wouldn't do a lot of "How to Make C4" and "Who is selling Plutonium?" web searches if I had a dead body in the closet.
I was just curious, and I'm 99.99% sure that I'm not on a watch list. I'm glad to see that I've actually posted something somewhere that's actually gotten a reasonable number interesting responses!

[wilee-nilee]

I wouldn't worry about it, EXCEPT if you are on a watch list.

In theory the government "sniffs" packets with a supercomputer looking for terrorists. Would WikiLeaks be on the List? I doubt it, but who knows?

I certainly wouldn't do a lot of "How to Make C4" and "Who is selling Plutonium?" web searches if I had a dead body in the closet.

In and out of America everything goes through a NSA port.

[Dayofswords]

In and out of America everything goes through a NSA port.

oh fun

[McRat]

Is there anything on WikiLeaks that is significant?

I went there, and the top one was a classified Embassy doc about Iceland.

I read it, and WOW!!! Those WikiFacts guys hit paydirt!!! Seems Iceland has a US Embassy!

Now, put up some W80 core blueprints, and perhaps somebody might care. But probably not, if the Chinese could buy them, they are probably at Borders bookstore by now, on the Special Sale rack...

[IAmAnarch]

In and out of America everything goes through a NSA port.
I wonder if they'll install Cleanfeed proxies. <sarcasm>That would be cool.</sarcasm>

[wilee-nilee]

I wonder if they'll install Cleanfeed proxies. <sarcasm>That would be cool.</sarcasm>

Just smile and wave as you go through. It is sniffed as suggested since so much data is moving, key words phrases what ever the algorithm is. I used to have a link to the history of data collecting going back to the turn of the century. ):P):P):P

[Phrea]

Come to think of it, it's all a conspiracy, you indeed better stay away from controversial sites like wikileaks.

If you do not, the FBI will get you, and if you get away, the CIA will down a few governments in their effort, and if you escape even that, Interpol will get you, but only if all the papers are all in order, down to the last detail.

[Ebere]

;)

[iponeverything]

Nobody here is a lawyer, so all you will get is speculation by people who are not really familiar with the issue at hand.

Talk to a lawyer if you want a serious answer.

And a big bill.

[v1ad]

Wikipedia, on the other hand... (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/27/wikipedia-child-porn-larry-sanger-fbi/)


that made me laugh.

[Phrea]

http://squaries.phrea.com/lockit2.gif

[wilee-nilee]

Turn of the century was not correct 1928 is closer.


Electronic Surveillance: A Matter of Necessity?
HISTORY
Electronic surveillance is not a new technique. As long ago as 1928, the U.S. Supreme Court wrestled with the constitutional implications of governmental recording of telephone calls.
spy (http://www.surveillance-source.com/Electronic_Surveillance.htm)