WikiLeaks is no stranger to controversy. Several people are looking at this organization as a major whistle-blower and a digital vigilante that shows its fist to the establishment. While they applaud WikiLeaks for unmasking several illegal activities, others continue to show their disapproval by citing that this organization disrupts normal order of things and more inflicts harm than good.
This controversy got a fresh lease of life when the WikiLeaks taskforce tweeted "We are thinking of making an online database with all 'verified' twitter accounts and their family/job/financial/housing relations," something that didn't go well majority of the netizens.
The "verified" status which is denoted by a blue check mark similar to that of Facebook is usually given to users who are prominent in their fields to mark their authenticity on a public platform. Journalists, politicians, celebrities, and athletes are some of the few users who tend to get this on this platform.
Wikileaks taskforce, gauging the public ire, deleted the aforementioned tweet and in an attempt to damage control released a tweet saying that "We are looking for clear discrete (father/shareholding/party membership) variables that can be put into our AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. Other suggestions?"
Twitter also didn't take kindly to such a threat and responded saying "Posting another person's private and confidential information is a violation of the Twitter rules."
WikiLeaks tried to clarify by saying: "The idea is to look at the network of *relationships* that influence -- not to publish addresses", however, that is scary, nonetheless, and the twitter users responded in kind.
Even Ethan Lawrence, a British actor who holds a verified account, retorted to WikiLeaks, saying, "I think this plan is creepy, I think you are creepy and I hope someone breaks into your house and rearranges your sofa cushions."
