WikiLeaks Threatens to Create Database of Twitter Users’ Personal Information

The Twitter account for WikiLeaks sparked controversy Friday when it suddenly announced they planned to create a public database of the personal information for users with verified Twitter accounts (possibly in reaction to the widespread scorn they earned earlier in the day for denouncing the leak of classified information)

We are thinking of making an online database with all “verified” twitter accounts & their family/job/financial/housing relationships.

— WikiLeaks Task Force (@WLTaskForce) January 6, 2017

We are looking for clear discrete (father/shareholding/party membership) variables that can be put into our AI software. Other suggestions?

— WikiLeaks Task Force (@WLTaskForce) January 6, 2017

Needless to say, fellow Twitter users (especially verified ones) weren’t exactly happy.

@WLTaskForce I think this plan is creepy, I think you’re creepy and I hope someone breaks into your house and rearranges your sofa cushions.

— Ethan Lawrence (@EthanDLawrence) January 6, 2017

@EthanDLawrence @Bigwasp80 “hey guys let’s make a database of information on people’s lives/families that they have the right keep private”

— not even festive (@squigglebug18) January 6, 2017

@EthanDLawrence @Bigwasp80 “hey guys let’s make a database of information on people’s lives/families that they have the right keep private”

— not even festive (@squigglebug18) January 6, 2017

Here’s a suggestion: screw off and respect people’s right to privacy. @WLTaskForce

— Matthew Chapman (@fawfulfan) January 6, 2017

Making it easy for people to harass reporters’ families is radical democracy https://t.co/sl3vo0D7Zr

— Ned Resnikoff (@resnikoff) January 6, 2017

Shorter Wikileaks: We are thinking of doxxing all Twitter users with a verified checkmark, because fuck privacy https://t.co/nooWHXU38A

— Kyle Foley (@KFoleyFL) January 6, 2017

This is a terrific idea. You guys’ individual addresses and phone numbers would be the FIRST things you post, yes? #heroes https://t.co/iUe30W2nCP

— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) January 6, 2017

WikiLeaks didn’t inspire confidence when, asked point-black if they intended to dox people, answered with technobabble.

@WLTaskForce Hi. Can you clarify this? It reads like a threat to begin doxing people.

— Kevin Collier (@kevincollier) January 6, 2017

.@kevincollier No it is to develop a metric to understand influence networks based on proximity graphs.

— WikiLeaks Task Force (@WLTaskForce) January 6, 2017

@WLTaskForce @kevincollier those words don’t mean anything tho

— Taylor Hatmaker (@tayhatmaker) January 6, 2017

[Image via screengrab]

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