The ethical question surrounding WikiLeaks activities relies on whether the individuals involved understand the difference between what they have the right to do and what is right to do. It goes beyond the right to communicate or receive information and involves the question of what a person should do and to what extent he or she is right to do so. Therefore, when it comes to discussing the ethical dilemma with WikiLeaks, one must evaluate the consequences of the actions based on the degree of rightness in them. This requires sufficient knowledge to determine whether what is being done is the right thing to do. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay WikiLeaks has helped the public gain information on several issues affecting government and large corporations. It has strengthened government accountability and transparency. However, the question still remains whether the company is violating the rights of governments and citizens. It is very clear that the release of government information to the public affects many things. For example, the release of the “Erdogan emails” was one of many WikiLeaks releases that can be said to cause ethical dilemmas. The company indicated that this complaint was a form of government corruption that it was rooting out. However, it should be noted that such leaks are irresponsible and unethical as they affect privacy. The linking of the emails led to the disclosure of “huge databases of ordinary people, including a special database of almost all adult women in Turkey,” according to statements by Zeynep Tufekci. Information on female voters has been disclosed in around 79 out of 81 provinces in Türkiye. This incident violated the privacy rights of these individuals. For example, information about home addresses, mobile numbers and other data was disclosed, endangering the privacy and security of those affected. Furthermore, the “Erdogan emails” contained sensitive information about AKP members that included personal data, and such data allegedly endangered individuals' lives. Therefore, WikiLeaks' function of exposing government data is unethical. It leads to the release of sensitive information to the public which can also raise other issues such as security. For example, if terrorists obtained specific government data, the government system could become vulnerable and lead to terrorist attacks. Therefore, organization regulation and limitation is needed to prevent invasion of citizens' privacy and also protect the government from malicious attacks.
tags