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John L. Young, often as a lower hero of the digital age and co -founder of the groundbreaking transparency platform, died on March 28 in New York City. His death is in relative anonymity in a strong contrast to the thundering revelations that defined his pioneering work.
His death was quietly recognized by ArchinectA professional publication for architects on June 4:
“John L. Young, architect and co -founder (with his wife Deborah Natsios) from CryptomaDied in March, ”wrote the publication, but gave no further details. The New York TimesHe died in a rehabilitation facility in Manhattan.
For decades before the world became familiar with the concept of organized digital leaks, Young was one of the first to raise the profound potential of the emerging internet. He predicted his authority to publish confidential government documents online, which enables the citizens to provide information and blame the powerful responsibility for their actions.
Since June 1996 – a whole decade before Wikileaks appeared – Cryptom has been a relentless editor of tens of thousands of documents that were “prohibited by governments around the world, in particular those who relate to freedom, privacy and cryptology”, as the creators of the site carefully notice. Young founded cryptomes, which he lovingly referred to as the “free public library”, as a true forerunner of wikileaks and publish fearlessly raw government documents, which were both classified and not classified.
From the photos of Barack Obama’s closest protection team and complete transcripts of the security agreements introduced by the US Department of Defense to detailed plans of sensitive institutions – these were cryptoma revelations, not Wikileaks.
In a crucial moment in 2011, Kryptom made international headlines by publishing the untried version of the 251,000 US -Diplomatic cables that Wikileaks received in 2010. Until then, Wikileaks and its media partners had only published a few thousand of these documents, carefully editors -sensitive information such as the names and contact details of individuals of individuals.
At the time, critics and the US government vehemently argued that the unprecedented publication of cryptom in the documents, especially in informants who work for American messages in authoritarian regimes or war zones, could endanger sources.
Although Wikileaks was a direct competitor in the area of transparency, Young Julian Assange defended during his lengthy pats on the US government, especially in 2020. Young, saw this as a persecution and bravely challenged the US government to pursue it.
“I published on Cryptome.org on September 1, 2011 at the URL https://cryptome.org/z/z.7z, diplomatic cables. explained In a defiant declaration to the Ministry of Justice in 2020, a copy of Cryptome.org is accessible. “Since my publication on Cryptome.org of the untried diplomatic cable, I have not informed me of the US criminal trial authority that this publication of the cables is illegal, there is a crime in any way, and they have not asked to be removed.”
With its reserved design, Cryptoma website Links to hosted documents and external articles. Young, an architect from Manhattan, who also acted as an administrator of the website, humbly described himself as a “amateur” shistleblower, which differs from which “with a greater purpose”. It is perhaps this modest nature that distinguishes it; When Julian Assange turned to Young to take on an active role in Wikileaks, Young refused.
It can be assumed that Young of US secret services was not preferred, which often criticized him to publish highly sensitive documents, including lists of the names of the agents. His pioneering website was also constantly examined and had “several times a day” attacks by computer robots that are supposed to analyze the content of his pages, proof of the continued threat that was perceived by which he brought to light.
Young, a left activist who has completed Columbia University, survived from his wife (Natsios) and three children from his first marriage.
