This warning may point to a new level of government’s ability and willingness to conduct Internet surveillance in the modern national-security state. Thanks to Olivia.
Columbia U To Students: If You Want A Job At State, Don’t Link To Wikileaks
Rachel Slajda | December 3, 2010
Students of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs were warned this week not to spread the Wikileak cables online if they ever wanted a job at the State Department.
The warning came through the office of career services, from an unnamed alumnus who now works at State and wanted to pass along the message.
“The documents released during the past few months through Wikileaks are still considered classified documents. He recommends that you DO NOT post links to these documents nor make comments on social media sites such as Facebook or through Twitter,” reads the email, sent by the office of career services. Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government.”
The email was first reported by Democracy Now.
[TPM SLIDESHOW: Inside the Bahnhof Bunker, Home Of The Wikileaks Servers]
A spokesman for the school confirmed to TPM that the email was sent.
“It was not a directive by any means,” said the spokesman, Alex Burnett. “Many of our students graduate and wind up looking for jobs in the government sector.”
The State Department did not return a call for comment.
As TPM reported today, the White House directed all federal agencies to tell their employees not to access the Wikileaks web site, citing concerns over security and the sharing of classified information.
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Here is an excerpt from Jean Hudon’s latest compilation on the Library of Congress blocking access to Wikileaks on its staff computers. Evidently Wikileaks has constructed mirror sites in a number of European countries so that access to its websites will not be obstructed.
Library of Congress Is Latest Government Institution to Block Wikileaks
https://gawker.com/5705492/library-of-congress-is-latest-government-institution-to-block-wikileaks
The Library of Congress has blocked access to the Wikileaks site on its staff computers and on the wireless network that visitors use, two sources tell TPM.The error message reportedly reads: “Ad or Website blocked by LC DNSBH. Advertisements or websites that may be malicious are blocked. If this message appears in lieu of an advertisement (i.e., on part of the page), the advertisement site may be malicious. However the website is safe to use. If this message appears on a page by itself, the website is blocked due to potential malicious content.”
More information – LC IT Security – A spokesman for the library could not immediately comment, but expects to have a statement shortly. The library is a governmental institution and serves as the research arm for Congress. It was established in 1800 and, when it was burned down by the British in 1814, Thomas Jefferson donated his own personal library to replace it. (Not for free, though; Congress paid $23,950 for the books.)
It has grown ever since and, according to the library, it has “more than 144 million items including more than 33 million cataloged books and other print materials in 460 languages; more than 63 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world’s largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings.
“The State and Commerce departments have also reportedly told their employees not to look at the Wikileaks cables, while the Department of Education reportedly blocked it entirely. – CHECK ALSO U.S. Military in Iraq Tries to Intimidate