INFOGRAPHIC: 7 CONTROVERSIAL FIGURES OF INTERNET FREEDOM

7 Controversial Figures of Internet Freedom
By KeriLynn Engel, Who Is Hosting This, 8 October 2014.

In the Information Age, data is the new currency, and knowledge is power.

And thanks to the Internet, we’re used to being able to access information at whim, quickly and easily - and for free.

But throughout history, those in power have guarded their secrets closely. In the face of a movement towards more freedom of information, they work harder than ever to keep their secrets from falling into the wrong hands, or being exposed to the public.

In that clash of secrecy vs. freedom of information, these seven famous men have become polarizing figures. Depending on which side you believe, they are either heroes of the free Internet fighting censorship, or traitors who are putting lives in danger.

From exposing government corruption to freely disseminating academic research, these men all had different motives and goals. But all of them had one thing in common: their belief in humanity’s right to freedom of information.

“Freedom of information” sounds good in principle, but some argue that secrets are sometimes necessary to protect and save lives. While Edward Snowden may have had good intentions when he leaked classified NSA documents to foreign powers, prosecutors argued that his actions put thousands of US citizens at risk. He now faces up to 30 years of prison time if convicted.

But for others on this list, the reasoning for such harsh sentencing isn’t quite so clear. Aaron Swartz illegally accessed JSTOR to make academic research freely available to all, not just those who could afford the high fees. Though his actions put no lives at risk, he faced up to 35 years years in prison and a million dollar fine. In the face of persecution, he committed suicide in 2013.

Are these punitive actions necessary for the greater good? Or is freedom of information the higher priority? Check out the facts below, and see which side you fall on.

Infographic courtesy of Who Is Hosting This

Infographic Sources:

1. Alleged hacker charged with stealing over four million documents from MIT network
2. USA vs. Aaron Swartz
3. Timeline: USA v. Swartz and the aftermath
4. Aaron Swartz’s Suicide Prompts MIT Soul-Searching
5. Introducing Aaron’s Law, a Desperately Needed Reform of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
6. US files criminal charges against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden
7. Profile: Edward Snowden
8. ‘I already won’: Snowden is helping the NSA though it brands him a traitor
9. Pirate Bay co-founder Peter Sunde to run for EU parliament
10. Pirate Bay co-founder arrested in Sweden to serve copyright violation sentence
11. Pirate Bay Founder Peter Sunde Requests Pardon
12. Pirate Bay Co-Founder Peter Sunde Arrested Years After Conviction
13. 10 days in Sweden: the full allegations against Julian Assange
14. No charges ever pressed: Assange marks three years of UK detention
15. Assange targeted by FBI probe, US court documents reveal
16. Julian Assange sees himself as “A martyr without dying”
17. Swedish court to rule on lifting Julian Assange arrest warrant
18. Lawyers for Lavabit founder: judges may dismiss civil liberties concerns
19. Julian Assange sex case: Warrant for Wikileaks founder upheld
20. Ladar Levison: “An Open Conversation about Internet Communications Privacy”
21. Hacker With A Cause
22. Jeremy Hammond federal hacking complaint [Freejeremy.net]
23. The Rise and Fall of Jeremy Hammond: Enemy of the State
24. 10 years in prison for circulating information in public interest
25. Jeremy Hammond Supporters Speak Out For ‘Whistleblower’ Ahead Of Sentencing
26. Jailed Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond: ‘My days of hacking are done’
27. Case of jailed blogger raises First Amendment concerns
28. Blogger’s Incarceration Raises First Amendment Questions
29. Shelby Country blogger sentenced to 90 days for resisting arrest, remains in jail without bond on contempt charges
30. Alabama Court Shuts Blogger Up With Prior Restraint Court Order, Indefinite Jailing For Contempt of Court

[Source: Who Is Hosting This. Edited.]