This was a time when Assange and other punks like him were running circles around governments. It seemed like the ability for the powers that be to keep secrets was over. It was just done. Thanks to Assange et al we were going to know if a cell phone company was surveying everyone. We were going to know if a government assassinated a bunch of people who turned out to be journalists. We were going to know. And between Anonymous and Wikileaks and Edward Snowden, it was happening in a way that felt like it was a force of nature, and there was no containing it. The authorities, what could they do? Information wanted to be free.

Then, it all ended. Julian Assange has been rotting away in Belmarsh prison in the UK. Edward Snowden tweets from Russia. Wikileaks. When’s the last time they released anything? The Empire struck back. There were arrests, there were accusations, and the machine was surprisingly effective and merciless in containing the free flow of information and government secrets. That’s what happened to all those guys. You don’t hear about them much anymore. But what about Jacob Appelbaum? What about that guy? No, nothing? Name doesn’t ring a bell? Jacob Appelbaum was known to the authorities as Wikileaks Associate Number Three. He was also once the toast of the cyber community, feted by European politcos, and making red carpet appearances.

Then the accusations came. And it all ended for Appelbaum. Just like that nobody wanted to talk about Jacob Appelbaum. But we do.

Host: Jesse Brown

Credits: Tristan Capacchione (Audio Editor and Technical Producer), Max Collins (Production Manager), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Karyn Pugliese (Editor-in-Chief)

Additional music by Audio Network

Further reading:

• Nobody wants to talk about Jacob Appelbaum — Jamie Kastner
• Inconsistencies in Rape Allegations — Die Zeit (In English)
• What Has This Man Done? (A four part series) — Die Zeit (In English)
• Digital privacy activist Jacob Appelbaum denies colleagues’ assault allegations — The Guardian
• Power, secrecy and cypherpunks: how Jacob Appelbaum ripped Tor apart — The Guardian

Sponsors: Douglas, Indochino

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