Impact of WikiLeaks

The latest WikiLeaks "scandal" was a sometimes entertaining and sometimes chin-dropping event in 2010, however other than a healthy dose of 'red-face' dished out to various governments it has yet to produce a truly smoking gun. So what will the impact be in 2011 and beyond?

The more serious impact will not be so much a result of the leaks themselves, but rather the reaction and approach taken by governments in response. We've already seen the US Department of Justice issue sealed (ie secret) subpoenas against US companies such as Twitter demanding personal details of non-US citizens using the service outside US territories. This is a worrying development, however I suspect just the tip of the iceberg, especially if the US and others give in to the temptation to not exercise restraint after being embarrassed by this episode.

Reacting in such a way is pretty shortsighted, however, with implications far more serious than they may yet realise. Would you want to host your commercially sensitive data in a country with a habit of judicially forcing your host to hand it over to their Government without even telling you? The backlash from these types of tactics and other actions potentially taken to "tighten down" the Internet will certainly have impact, and this could well bring about a new set of challenges for ICT providers as consumers and businesses become more concerned about privacy and protection of their data.

Skills-based Approach