Amazon.com Pulls Plug on Hosting Wikileaks
- Posted on December 1, 2010 at 3:54pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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Amazon.com has pulled the plug on Wikileaks, refusing to host the controversial site on its self-service web servers. The group confirmed the move on Wednesday with a tweet complaining about free speech.
The site, which just released a trove of sensitive U.S. State Department documents, took up residence on Amazon.com Inc.’s self-service Web servers after a rash of Internet-based attacks started Sunday against its regular Swedish host, Bahnhof.
The attacks made access to the site a hit and miss affair. The site was also unavailable for hours on Wednesday, as Amazon’s servers stopped responding to requests.
The ousting comes as Sen. Joe Liebermann (I-CT) called on U.S. companies to boycott the site.
“[Amazon’s] decision to cut off Wikileaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies Wikileaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material,” he said in a statement. “I call on any other company or organization that is hosting Wikileaks to immediately terminate its relationship with them.”
Liebermann claims Amazon told him it intentionally pulled the plug on Wikileaks. “This morning Amazon informed my staff that it has ceased to host the Wikileaks website,” he says in his statement. “I wish that Amazon had taken this action earlier based on Wikileaks’ previous publication of classified material.”
Amazon.com refused to comment on its relationship with WikiLeaks or whether it forced the the group to leave, however. The whistleblower site will now move back to a Swedish provider.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (92)
mcpbob
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:24pmAmazon.com did what they felt was the right thing, i personally agree with them, Wikileaks founder is not an American, and he is trying to do damage to our country, why should an American Company want to support such a person? I think it is time America starts standing up for America., Wikileaks main goal is to do damage to our republic, i call that an enemy… we should stomp out our enemies, Thank you Amazon….
Report Post »kingssman
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:16pmAmazon did a wise move.
The US government is going into persecution mode over wikileaks. Just like the DOJ went after US based mp3 and torrent servers, shutting them down, and imposing fines. Same thing is gonna happen to any US server that hosts wikileaks.
This of course doesn‘t stop the from being hosted in sweden and since we don’t have a US version of the “Great firewall of China”, its still avail to the US and world public.
oddly there’s those who challenge the govt ability to shutdown websites that break the law citing freespeech protection wether it hosts bootleg movies or state secrets.
Amazon was smart enough not to get itself tangled in a lawsuit. Protest and boycott all u want, its the govt dropping the hammer is what got amazon scared.
Report Post »bigdaddybernie
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:04pmATTN:Liberals,Progressives,Socialists,Democrats,et al.,……….your leadership does NOT include YOU in any decision making, regardless what you were taught by your apparatchik professors in college, You are a PAWN !
Report Post »drawls
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:03pmAt first thought, I thought wikileaks a very bad thing.After much thought I realize that if more reporting of the inner working of our government were exposed, we would not be broke now. There is so much fraud in this government, it must be exposed if we are to save our country. The government is now trying to control the internet.One election isn’t gonna do it.
Report Post »chexfive
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 8:56pmI agree, maybe some people don’t want to know about agent orange incidents or things like the MK Ultra experiments that our government has done to its citizens, until it is their family that is affected, then all hell breaks loose. Then, they want to know don’t they?
Report Post »KimNTennessee
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:01pmThank goodness. I shop Amazon all the time and was planning to stop when I heard about the hosting. Wiki personnel are criminals.
Report Post »PC-FIDE
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:39pmThe problem that I see with Wiki is that they can pick and choose what material to leak depending on their political persuasion. This issue is what has happenend ton our nations press, we are not protected from ideoligies that are harmful to our nations people.The power to release or hold back information is to great.
Report Post »REVENANT
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:37pmYou have to be 25 to rent a car. They gave the keys to the intelligence kingdom to an effite little 22 yr old whelp. I have a friends that work at companies with computer systems that although the users are authorized to use them, no form of detachable media may be used to copy, or transfer data. how in the name of Sam Hill, was this traitor able to walk out of a highly secure facility with CD’s full of classified intel?
Report Post »LadyIzShy
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:25pmok.. I do not like what this man is doing and frankly why anyone works with him is beyind me however i do NOT want the government to tell anyone what they can and can not post on the web or what we can say or read. I think we need to stop those who are doing the leaks so there is NOTHING to be put on his web site at all ever..
Report Post »dkhartman
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:42pmJust because a senator ‘calls’ for someone to stop hosting does not mean that the government FORCED someone to stop hosting wikileaks. Amazon had the choice to take his advice or not. They were not forced. It would take a LOT more action for them to be forced. They did it freely and it was right of them to do so. However, I’ll still never purchase another item from them.
If amazon did it freely, it isn’t a violation of free speech.. Even if you think it is, it’s not illegal, they have the right to do so.
Report Post »REVENANT
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:10pmThe idiots at Wikileaks need a lesson in how the Constitution works. Amazon is absolutely free to say no to them. Amazon, is not the government. What a bunch of morons.
Report Post »cavewalker
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 11:07pmLast I checked Mr. Assange is NOT a US citizen so our constitution does not apply to him. Instead of everyone getting so mad about this stop and think about it. There is no way this Private was allowed access to all this material. He is being used. This isn’t over…get ready for the next dump early this next year.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 8:25am@Cavewalker
The Founders were clear and consistent that the rights they outlined pertained to all Men. They were simply erecting a government to safeguard the rights that ALL people have. So yes, he does have those rights. What he doesn’t have is the so called “protection” of those rights by the government of these united States. But rights, yes, he has them, every last one of them as enumerated in the Constitution. Everybody does.
Report Post »MidAmerican
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:08pmAll Interpol needs to do is call Dog and Beth. That guy will be doing the perp walk for those rape charges before Leland can even get his mace reholstered. ;-)
Report Post »cwolf
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:07pmHmm, this reminds me of when Network Solutions decided to cave into Islamic pressure and take down the hosting for the anti-Islamic film Fitna a while back.
Yay for free speech…
Report Post »Sister_Mary
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:07pmDon’t shop AMAZON and let AMAZON know why !!!!!!
Report Post »petestreet
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:45pmI look forward to the trators hangings on AMAZON
Report Post »Warphead
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:37pmWhat I’m sick of hearing are all the idiots out there screaming about people’s right to free speech being violated. The right to free speech means simply that the government cannot silence you. If a private group or organization that posts or otherwise acts as a mouthpiece for other groups or individuals, decides that they do not like what you say for any reason, has the right to no longer post or otherwise act as a mouth piece for the group or individual. This is not a violation of free speech. In no way has the government censored what was being said. To claim such a thing would be the equivalent of me crying that my free speech rights were violated because you choose to not read this column. That is absurd to say the least. Now speaking of speaking out. Another fallacy is the belief that saying whatever comes to mind has no consequences or repercussions because it is your right to free speech. That is total B/S. You have the right to say what you want without the government intervening but that in no way absolves you from responsibility. What this Jack-donkey did by receiving stolen US intelligence documents and then circulating them throughout the world is a crime. If the US government shuts him down and locks him up it is not a violation of free speech. This guy is guilty of knowingly fencing stolen merchandise and profiting from it. He is also guilty of knowingly putting lives in danger as well as an accomplice to espionage. Amazon has the right to stop acting as the mouthpiece. What troubles me is that it took Amazon this long to make the decision.
Report Post »american1st
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:12pmwell said.. every time they call this jack donkeys site a whistle blower site i cringe.
Report Post »HillBillySam1
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:29pmVery well said.
Report Post »dkhartman
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:35pmVery well said
Report Post »Redistributor
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:31pmNobody I know cares about this story or Wikileaks. Wiki who?
Report Post »Star Spangled
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:23pmI think Amazon was worried the Gov. might shut them down , so it may have been just to save their own butts.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:12pmA little late don’t ya think? I am done with amazon anyway after the whole pedifile how to book . They surely realized what they were doing to begin with.
Report Post »Insipid
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:12pmIt appears that I will do the rest of my Christmas shopping “Ramahaunaquanzmas to you PC dolts” at Amazon. Kudos to a company with some testicular fortitude !
Report Post »Richlove1
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:08pmWhy doesn’t the left understand the difference between freedom of choice and free speech? They really mean “I should be able to say or do anything I want and not have to suffer any consequences.” Amazon is free to associate with whomever they want; it’s a business, not a public bulletin board.
Report Post »republitarian
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:05pmThanks Joe, but it’s too late. It’s all available for download. All we can do is make the best of it.
Report Post »chexfive
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:46pmYep, it went viral and anyone that wants it can get it, not hard to find at all.
I‘m surprised people don’t want to know what our government does in our name, but yet will defend it as if we have angels running the show. If you think we are getting our monies worth then please pay more taxes, if not, QUESTION WITH BOLDNESS.
If the government were doing the correct and obvious things to protect America like securing the border, profiling would be attackers and enforcing the laws and throwing criminal bankers and crooked gov officials in jail, then we might have some confidence in the government and we might well trust them enough to not want to know what is going on. But when the American People have been essentially raped, pillaged and treated as common criminals while the real criminals go free and receive freebies and positions of power on my dime, then I want to know what the hell is going on. Trading your freedom and liberties to a corrupt and criminal government for security will never work, and if you will do that, you deserve nothing.
Report Post »dkhartman
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:29pmWhile it would be NICE to have info on what our government is and has been doing, it’d be ignorant to think it would stop there…
That‘s what people don’t tend to think about. They think, “wow what a great idea, we need to know what is going on”. But come on, lets grow up and start thinking about the future.
When they started tapping our phones people thought ” wow what a great idea, we can catch the bad guys”
I bet you they never in a million years thought that only a few years later they’d be being groped at the airport…. (Well, you let us violate you already, why not just a LITTLE bit more)
And if we don’t stop THIS NOW – it won’t stop at groping at airports.
When they started cracking down on people from saying ‘hateful’ things to other people it SEEMED like a great idea. YEAH, lets stop those hateful people….
Never in a million years did I think that it’d be a crime to speak words to someone.. Freedom of speech, kinda sorta, unless we don’t like what you say.
People, YES it’s great to have transparency. But for crying out loud, stop thinking about the now and think about what harm might come in the future. You give them an inch – they’ll go a mile. So stop it now, even though it seems harmless, don‘t think for a second that it can’t or won’t get worse. Start thinking about the consequences. Not saying people do this on purpose but if we’d just start to think of where these things can lead us, we’d be a lot better off.
Report Post »Psychosis
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:03pmnoooooooo
this information is necessary right now, and though it may be damaging to the U.S., it isnt any worse than what dumbo in chief is doing.
i want as much information on this administration as possible
though leaking secret docs generally is a bad idea, if there ever was an administration that should be investigated it is this one
none of the leaks is causing risk to our troops, and names have been removed from delicate posts
I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE BANK POSTS…………………..I HOPE ITS THE FED
note ( there is no way a buck private had access to this much info from so many different areas by himself…….it is impossible.)
there are generals that dont have this much access by themselves, without proper permission from multiple agencies and officials.
trust me i “KNOW”
Report Post »code green
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:16pmI have to agree with you on this one. The Pentagon has been hacked more than any bank .
Report Post »What is next after the bank ????? White House emails would be nice .
heavyduty
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:20pmSorry psychosis: But we don’t need to know what is going on between the countries that deal with us. The other countries definitely do not need to know what we are saying. We need to know that our government is protecting us the best that they can. We don’t need to know how so much. I am pretty sure that you don’t go around following the local police to ensure that they are protecting you.
Report Post »Nvrforget
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:30pm@Heavyduty
Of course I don’t follow the local police around, but if they start beating up people for no reason I sure would like the newspapers to write about it. Wikileaks isn’t really that different, just on a larger scale. I‘m not saying that what they’re doing is all good, but I‘m not saying it’s all bad either.
Report Post »american1st
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:32pmthere is more to this than meets the eye, on one hand whistle-blowing is a good thing and needs to be protected, but this guy isn’t whistle-blowing he is dumping large amounts of random secrets without concern for the harm it may do,.. i am all for transparency and for exposing wrong doings, but i don’t think wikileaks is about either.. there is an agenda behind these leaks and it is not patriotic or pro American..
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:42pmOne thing to consider is this possibility also:
If someone(s) are able to hack into the Pentagon and similar computer systems, or are let into them by traitors or agent provocatours then what is to stop them from just using the same paths or the same doors to INTRODUCE information for the sake of disinformation.
Imagine the results if someone or something “damaging” just gets found by a set of hackers which indeed has been planted by another hacker or government.
Report Post »Max jones
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:10pmpsychosis…..you are right about this issue….we should not let this administration tell us where to get our info….being one who doesn’t trust anybody in power, I believe there is more to this story than we are getting anywhere. I want ALL the docs published. It turns out that MOST people are ignorant, and don’t know what is happening with our government, in fact most 20-somethings I talk to, haven’t the foggiest idea that anything is amiss. This is the progressive agenda at work. Knowledge cannot be bad, ignorance cannot be good, period.
Report Post »american1st
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:34pm@max – transparency is fine, stealing secret government documents is not!
Report Post »the government does need to keep some things private/secret believe it or not it is some time s in our best interest,
- publishing government wrong doings is fine, publishing secrets that put people in harm or just to discredit or hurt the US is not
if wikileaks exposed government wrong doings it was inadvertently there goals are anti military anti American…. they are not trying to do any good for you by leaking this stuff
heavyduty
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:01pmThey just know which side of the bread their butter is on. If the American people found out that they were hosting WeakyLeaks they know they would lose just a whole bunch of business. Not to mention money.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:00pmAmazon has more cajones than the BO regime! Kudos to Amazon!
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:07pmOblame-a has the ****** of a flea.
If GWB was in charge, he would have a special forces team hunting this guy down and bringing him to Gitmo as a war criminal.
DagneyT
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:15pmCouldn’t agree more, Nick. But when I said “regime”, I meant all of them put together! LOL
Report Post »untameable-kate
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:59pmThe flea still applies
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 8:20amWar criminal?
1. We’re not at war. Haven’t been since 1945.
2. He released no information that put anybody’s life in danger
3. His biggest “crime” was to expose how the State Department is comprised of a bunch of back stabbing snakes in the grass. People who, by the way, are almost fully on the far, far New World Order globalist left.
We’re being set up for Net Neutrality and half this site is cheering it like it was a good thing. Think this through people, it‘s almost amateur level stagecraft and you’re falling for it!
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:00pmGood for Amazon.com. They’re showing some degree of good sense in all this. It’s not all about profits.
Nvrforget
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:15pmI see it just the other way around: Because Amazon is worried about its profits, they pulled the plug on Wikileaks. Still a solid reason for a company, though.
Report Post »Rapunzel
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:42pmEither way – it’s the free market at work!
Report Post »Dale
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 3:58pmI still marvel that it took embarrassing elites and banks for anyone to take action. What are they trying to protect?
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:01pmThey’re butts.
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:14pmFinally! Some Common Sense and (hopefully) a measure of patriotism out of Amazon!
CultureWarriors
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:17pmToo late, I spent my last $$ at Amazon. They are now on the boycott list!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8DnA4Ro9tQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIoEUTqhYmA
@leftfighter
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:19pmI don‘t know why the Pentagon’s Cyber Command hasn’t released the worst computer bug it has at its disposal.
We’ve got some ugly little cyber-critters that can effectively destroy not just Wikileaks’ content but its harware as well.
And as to the Swedish servers hosting the site? Sorry. You lay with dogs, you wake up with fleas.
Actions, alliances, and affiliations have consequences. That’s what you get for laying with this particular dog.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:22pmAfter that book of the child molesting and such, they are just trying to cover their tails like other posters have mentioned.
Report Post »snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:26pm@Leftfighter
Seems the wikileaks files and support need a virus or viruses introduced to smash and delete the entirety of the place, backups and all, from complete existence.
Report Post »2
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 4:42pmAmazon grew balls. I wonder if the New York Times could grow theirs? NO…….
snowleopard3200 {mix art}
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:03pm@Blazers
Go to the Drudge report at drudgereport.com and check out what is being said about the bond markets along with, if I read it right, looks like the US is getting ready to bail out the EU from the troubles it is having.
Next wikileaks = Federal Reserve, or these (Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase) whichever one has the most invested to the EU, and the most to lose when the market would go away.
Watch out for whatever stocks Soros and his goons trade away or purchase on the cheap in the Pharmacutical companies; that could be the tip for his next move.
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:41pmtoo bad WikiLeaks hasn’t investigated CPS
Report Post »http://cps-victims-unite.com/?page_id=36
TNT1
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 5:41pmBe caerfull what y’all wish for.This the left wanting the people to condemn free speech.
Report Post »->Click For Brain Enema<-
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 6:47pmAmazon is a great company. Get over it.
victord
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 7:06pmComrades at Amazon I salute you. We must shut down any site that publishes the truth!! The truth will only slow the process and our march into a new world order! I think we should burn some books wihile we’re at it.
Heil!!
Malachai
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 7:44pmCensorship. Hiding information. Licking the boots of the wealthy. It’s the new Patriotism!
Keep on supporting our corrupt officials as they try to save their own skin and make WikiLeaks out to be the bad guy. Keep on being sheep and believing that the real reason it’s bad is because it hurts national security, endangers our family’s lives at home, or other garbage. The corrupt officials LOVE it when their brain dead constituents do their work for them.
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on December 1, 2010 at 7:59pmAgree – the first batch of leaks didn’t embarrass any elites so nothing happened – but this time all the elitist diplomats are embarrassed so everyone is taking notice and the next batch is going to be about Wall Street – so there are more people trying to take it down. Screw the little guy but don’t embarrass the elites http://maboulette.wordpress.com.
Report Post »TNT1
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 4:46am.A set up for net neutrality.This is‘nt simply a nudge it’s a slap to the head.
Report Post »beekeeper
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 8:47amHow stupid is this?
Wikileaks, left to their own devices, spent their money and hosted their site in Switzerland. When their antics had some repurcussions, the went to the easiest webhost that could easily accomodate their load, Amazon Web Services (which also happens to be a fairly low-cost host) that happens to be in the USA. Now when they feel a little heat they take thier (tar)ball backup and go back to Switzerland to host their website there, and try and make Americans feel bad that they were not welcome here.
Seriously, their hosting of Wikileaks on USA servers was temporary at best, and that pitiful attempt to appeal to American’s pocketbook, well, seriously, how much money could they honestly have been spending with Amazon for those few days? No jobs were created or lost based on Wikileaks hosting decision – I’d be suprised if they spent more than about $5,000 all told – about what Paris Hilton spends in an afternoon shopping…
Boo Freakin’ Hoo Wikileaks – Personally, I can’t wait until their personal information is spread all across the internet by another “just getting the facts out there” organization… I’d love to see who bankrolls the site, who visits the sites, what their overhead is, what Assanege (whatever his name is) earns off this site, etc. If they piss off enough people, they are bound to be brought down.
Report Post »Lone-Wolf
Posted on December 2, 2010 at 10:43amThat sucks I just bought Operation Dark Heart and Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History, off of Amazon FOR letting wikileaks use their servers.
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