The lack of (legal) options for whistleblowers after Wikileaks

“The Fifth Estate” opens in theaters today. The film is based on the real life events surrounding the website Wikileaks and the impact that document leaks had on the government, the press, and beyond. Benedict Cumberbatch plays Julian Assange in the film. It got us thinking about the real Julian Assange and high-profile cases of whistleblowing in the post-Wikileaks world. Jonathan Zittrain, professor of law at Harvard Law School and faculty co-director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, saw “The Fifth Estate” earlier this week and discusses the lack of (legal) options for leakers and whistleblowers.