Daniel Domscheit-Berg
Encyclopedia
Daniel Domscheit-Berg, previously known under the pseudonym Daniel Schmitt (born 1978), is a German technology activist. He is best known for his role, until September 2010, as a spokesperson for WikiLeaks
, the whistleblower
organization, in Germany. He is the author of Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website (2011).
After leaving Wikileaks, he announced plans in January 2011 to open a new website for anonymous online leaks called OpenLeaks
. At a Chaos Computer Club
event in August 2011, he announced its preliminary launch and invited hackers to test the security of the OpenLeaks system, as a result of which the CCC criticized him for exploiting the good name of the club to promote his OpenLeaks project and expelled him from the club. In September 2011, several news organizations cited Domscheit-Berg's split from Julian Assange
and Wikileaks as one of a series of events and errors that led to the release that month of all 251,287 United States diplomatic cables in the Cablegate affair.
that he was resigning, saying "WikiLeaks has a structural problem. I no longer want to take responsibility for it, and that's why I am leaving the project".
Domscheit-Berg was highlighted in the Swedish Sveriges Television (Sweden's Television)
programme, WikiRebels - The Documentary, released in the second week of December 2010.
A book about his experience with and separation from WikiLeaks was released in Germany in February 2011, entitled Inside WikiLeaks: Meine Zeit bei der gefährlichsten Website der Welt ("My Time at the World's Most Dangerous Website"). An English translation followed some days later by Australian publisher Scribe Publications. Domscheit-Berg has criticised Julian Assange's handling of the Afghan War Diaries and his leadership style in his book.
Wikileaks
WikiLeaks is an international self-described not-for-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources, news leaks, and whistleblowers. Its website, launched in 2006 under The Sunshine Press organisation, claimed a database of more...
, the whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
organization, in Germany. He is the author of Inside WikiLeaks: My Time with Julian Assange at the World's Most Dangerous Website (2011).
After leaving Wikileaks, he announced plans in January 2011 to open a new website for anonymous online leaks called OpenLeaks
OpenLeaks
-External links:* *...
. At a Chaos Computer Club
Chaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club is an organization of hackers. The CCC is based in Germany and other German-speaking countries.The CCC describes itself as "a galactic community of life forms, independent of age, sex, race or societal orientation, which strives across borders for freedom of...
event in August 2011, he announced its preliminary launch and invited hackers to test the security of the OpenLeaks system, as a result of which the CCC criticized him for exploiting the good name of the club to promote his OpenLeaks project and expelled him from the club. In September 2011, several news organizations cited Domscheit-Berg's split from Julian Assange
Julian Assange
Julian Paul Assange is an Australian publisher, journalist, writer, computer programmer and Internet activist. He is the editor in chief of WikiLeaks, a whistleblower website and conduit for worldwide news leaks with the stated purpose of creating open governments.WikiLeaks has published material...
and Wikileaks as one of a series of events and errors that led to the release that month of all 251,287 United States diplomatic cables in the Cablegate affair.
WikiLeaks
Domscheit-Berg began working with WikiLeaks after meeting Assange at the Chaos Computer Club's annual conference (24C3) in 2007. On 25 September 2010, after reportedly being suspended by Assange, Domscheit-Berg told Der SpiegelDer Spiegel
Der Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
that he was resigning, saying "WikiLeaks has a structural problem. I no longer want to take responsibility for it, and that's why I am leaving the project".
Domscheit-Berg was highlighted in the Swedish Sveriges Television (Sweden's Television)
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
programme, WikiRebels - The Documentary, released in the second week of December 2010.
A book about his experience with and separation from WikiLeaks was released in Germany in February 2011, entitled Inside WikiLeaks: Meine Zeit bei der gefährlichsten Website der Welt ("My Time at the World's Most Dangerous Website"). An English translation followed some days later by Australian publisher Scribe Publications. Domscheit-Berg has criticised Julian Assange's handling of the Afghan War Diaries and his leadership style in his book.
OpenLeaks
OpenLeaks aims to be more transparent than WikiLeaks. Daniel Domscheit-Berg and Herbert Snorrason are the two public contacts for the website. Instead of publishing the documents, OpenLeaks will send the leaked documents to various news entities or publishers.External links
- OpenLeaks, the whistleblower website started by Domscheit-Berg
- Daniel Domscheit-Berg collected news and commentary at Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...