Palantir: The PayPal-offshoot Becomes a Weapon in the War Against Whistleblowers and WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks, the transparency organization known for publishing leaked documents that threaten the powerful, finds itself under pressure like never before, as does its editor-in-chief, Julian Assange. Now the fight to silence WikiLeaks is not only being waged by powerful government figures but also by the media, including outlets and organizations that have styled themselves as working to protect whistleblowers.

As Part I of this investigative series revealed, Pierre Omidyar – eBay billionaire and PayPal’s long-time owner – holds considerable sway over several journalists and organizations that once championed WikiLeaks but now work for the Omidyar-owned publication, The Intercept. Thanks to his deep ties to the U.S. government and his own long-standing efforts to undermine the organization, Omidyar is using his influence to bring renewed pressure to WikiLeaks as it continues to publish sensitive government information. However, Pierre Omidyar is not the only PayPal-linked billionaire with strong government connections and a dislike for WikiLeaks.

Whitney Webb
بواسطة Whitney Webb
Peter Thiel looks over the podium before the start of the second day session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, July 19, 2016. (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Peter Thiel, who once compared writers at Gawker to Al Qaeda after they wrote about his sexuality, is a close confidant of Donald Trump -- who, as president, continues to crack down on whistleblowers (even denying them bail) and whose administration has named arresting WikiLeaks editor-in-chief Julian Assange a top priority. Thiel is a perfect

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FBI Whistleblower on Pierre Omidyar and His Campaign to Neuter Wikileaks

FBI whistleblower Sibel Edmonds asserts Pierre Omidyar decided to create The Intercept to not only take ownership of the Snowden leaks but also to continue his blockade against WikiLeaks and create a “honey trap” for whistleblowers.

Whitney Webb
بواسطة Whitney Webb
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange leaves after greeting supporters outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London, May 19, 2017 (AP/Frank Augstein)

WikiLeaks, the transparency organization known for publishing leaked documents that threaten the powerful, finds itself under pressure like never before, as does its editor-in-chief, Julian Assange. Now, the fight to silence Wikileaks is not only being waged by powerful government figures but also by the media, including outlets and organizations

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The Intercept’s Partisan Attack On WikiLeaks

However politically flawed, WikiLeaks has done humanity a service by exposing the Democratic Party as but another organ of the rich.

Danny Haiphong
بواسطة Danny Haiphong
People watch a video conference of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange outside the public university in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017. (AP/Manu Fernandez)

The Intercept emerged during the Obama era to provide a service to whistleblowers. Journalist Glenn Greenwald, for example, helped form the Intercept in the aftermath of the corporate media backlash to Edward Snowden's leaks about the massive surveillance machine possessed by the National Security Agency (NSA). The Intercept prided itself as a

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The Intercept Withheld NSA Doc That May Have Altered Course Of Syrian War

If this document had been published sooner, it could have dramatically changed the course of the war by exposing the true face of the “moderate rebels” — and potentially saved tens of thousands of lives. That didn’t happen, and no reason has been given by the Intercept for its delay.

Whitney Webb
بواسطة Whitney Webb
Syrian rebels attend a training session in Maaret Ikhwan near Idlib, Syria.

On Tuesday, the Intercept published a hitherto unknown document from the trove of National Security Administration (NSA) documents leaked by Edward Snowden over three years ago. The document was notable as it shed light on the early days of the Syrian conflict and the fact that, for the past six years, so-called “revolutionary” groups aimed at

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Barrett Brown: Justice Department Subpoenaed The Intercept For Records on Him

“The strong possibility here is [the subpoena] relates to restitution payments that I am supposed to make and which I have been making here over the last several years even while in prison,” Brown said. “So the idea is that they are checking to see if I have money from the Intercept that I haven’t reported.”

Kevin Gosztola
بواسطة Kevin Gosztola

Published in partnership with ShadowProof The in-house counsel for the Intercept received a subpoena from the Justice Department for all contracts and communications between journalist Barrett Brown and the editor, Roger Hodge, who he worked with at the media organization. The subpoena also requested information on payments the Intercept made to

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The Intercept Has A Serious Source Burning Problem

With its outing of an anonymous NSA source, online publication The Intercept is finding itself in hot water.

Whitney Webb
بواسطة Whitney Webb
Accused NSA whistleblower, Reality Winner, leaves the U.S. District Courthouse in Augusta, Ga., following a bond hearing on June 8, 2017. (Photo: Michael Holahan/The Augusta Chronicle/AP)

Long having built its reputation on reports derived from classified information provided to them by leakers, The Intercept now finds itself in the unpleasant position of having burned – or outed – one of its anonymous sources. The leaker, Reality Leigh Winner, allegedly gave The Intercept classified NSA documents pertaining to an investigation

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