WikiLeaks‘ home page proclaims, “We help you safely get the truth out.”
Their editorial board seems to have abandoned any reasonable standards for “truth” this week. Despite noting that certain materials “are probably, but not certainly, fabricated,” and that the source of the purported materials did not seem to exist at the time the materials were purportedly created by the source, WikiLeaks published a file that supposedly contains some of Steve Jobs’ medical files.
Shame on them. Even if they believed that the files were accurate, to publish the medical files of someone who is dealing with serious health issues is to rob him of his right to privacy. Being a corporate executive is not any kind of justification for contributing to a breach of medical privacy.
Their site also says:
Unless otherwise specified the document described here:
* Was first publicly revealed by Wikileaks working with our source.
* At that time was classified, confidential, censored or otherwise withheld from the public.
* Is of political, diplomatic, ethical or historical significance.
* Any questions about this document’s veracity are noted.
* The summary is approved by the editorial board.
They should have stuck to publishing materials of possible political, diplomatic, ethical or historical significance. Even if the records were accurate — and there is much indication that they are not — the only significance is to Apple shareholders.
There are times when exposing a person’s medical files can be justified. For example, if a sitting president has dementia but does not acknowledge it and refuses to step down, there is a “greater public good” interest that would justify revealing the health records, I think. Apple shareholders may have understandable concerns about the health of their CEO, but that does not justify invading his privacy by what may well be phony documents on WikiLeaks. If Apple shareholders are scared, their solution is to sell their stock — not invade Steve Jobs’ privacy.