Critical Perspectives on Whistleblowers and Leakers

Book excerpt: Whistleblowers and leakers have played a long and influential role in our history. For example, Samuel Shaw, a U.S. midshipman during the Revolutionary War, exposed the torture of British soldiers in 1777. His actions led to the first law protecting whistleblowers in the United States. More recently, Edward Snowden released top-secret National Security Administration (NSA) documents showing the extent of the U.S. surveillance program. His actions have been both criticized and praised. In this text, experts weigh in on the importance of whistleblowers and leakers, and the damage they might cause, so that readers can form their own opinions on this important issue.