Students warned: Read WikiLeaks and you’re out of a government job

[beforeyoureyes]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/students-warned-read-wikileaks-government-job/


Graduate students at US universities are being warned not to read or post links to WikiLeaks documents, or they could be denied work with the US government.

Several news reports suggest the State Department has been warning university departments that students could fail security screening if they are seen to discuss or post links to WikiLeaks documents on social networking sites. The US government considers the leaked material to be classified, even after public release.

AboveTheLaw.com has obtained a letter from the career development dean of the Boston University School of Law warning students to stay away from WikiLeaks material.

Today I received information about Wikileaks that I want to pass on to you. This is most relevant if you are going to apply for or have already applied for federal government positions. Two big factors in hiring for many federal government positions are determining if the applicants have good judgment and if they know how to deal with confidential/classified information. The documents released by Wikileaks remain classified; thus, reading them, passing them on, commenting on them may be seen as a violation of Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information. See Section 5.5 (Sanctions).

For many federal government jobs, applicants must obtain security clearances. There are various levels of security checks, but all federal positions require background checks. As part of such checks, social media may be researched to see what you are up to, so DO NOT post links to the documents or make comments on any social media sites. Moreover, polygraphs are conducted for the highest levels of security clearance.


MUCH MORE at the link at the top of the page....

1984

[beforeyoureyes]

1. Is it even legal to censor student readings? I am no law expert, but it seems in violation

Of free speech rights...

Any law people out there?

[beforeyoureyes]

2. Kick for visibility...censorship like this needs to be called out

[Sirveri]

Yes, it's legal. Seeking and attempting to read classified documents is a security violation.

I used to hold a secret level security clearance, prior to that I held a confidential level security clearance, however I wasn't cleared to read all documents that had a secret level clearance because they didn't pertain to my job. If I had sought out those documents I would have placed my security clearance in jeopardy.

[struggle4progress]

3. State Dept. Denies WikiLeaks Warning to Columbia

Spokesman Says No Advice About WikiLeaks Has Been Given to Anyone Beyond the State Department

... The Huffington Post received a message from State Department spokesman Philip J. Crowley that reads:

"This is not true. We have instructed State Department employees not to access the WikiLeaks site and download posted documents using an unclassified network since these documents are still classified. We condemn what Mr. Assange is doing, but have given no advice to anyone beyond the State Department to my knowledge."

Earlier, a spokesman for the Ivy League school confirmed Saturday that the Office of Career Services sent an e-mail to students at the School of International and Public Affairs.

The Nov. 30 e-mail says an alumnus at the U.S. State Department had contacted the office, saying the diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks were "still considered classified." ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/04/national/main7118464.shtml




OMB: WikiLeaks off-limits to federal workers without clearance
By Ed O'Keefe
Updated 8:48 a.m. ET

... Career counselors at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs urged students not to post links to the documents or make comments on social media Web sites, including Facebook or Twitter.

"Engaging in these activities would call into question your ability to deal with confidential information, which is part of most positions with the federal government," said an e-mail the office said it sent to students on the advice of an alumnus who works for the State Department.

But the employee's warning, "does not represent a formal policy position," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Saturday.

"This sounds like an overly-zealous employee," Crowley said in an e-mail. "Our focus is advising current employees not to download classified documents to an unclassified network. While we condemn what WikiLeaks has done, we cannot control what is done through private Internet accounts." ...

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/12/wikileaks_off-limits_to_unauth.html

[struggle4progress]

4. Columbia University Reverses Anti-WikiLeaks Guidance

By Sam Gustin December 6, 2010 | 12:24 pm

... Last week, the SIPA Office of Career Services sent an e-mail to students saying that an alumnus who works at the U.S. State Department had recommended that current students not tweet or post links to WikiLeaks, which is in the process of releasing 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables — many of them classified — because doing so could hurt their career prospects in government service ...

Now, SIPA Dean John H. Coatsworth has clarified the school’s policy and issued a ringing endorsement of free speech and academic freedom.

“Freedom of information and expression is a core value of our institution,” Coatsworth wrote in an e-mail to the SIPA community Monday morning (full e-mail message below). “Thus, SIPA’s position is that students have a right to discuss and debate any information in the public arena that they deem relevant to their studies or to their roles as global citizens, and to do so without fear of adverse consequences.” ...

Over the weekend State Dept. spokesperson P.J. Crowley denied that there is a formal policy warning students against reading, linking or discussing the WikiLeaks cable online. SIPA’s original warning attributed the no-commenting on the released cables to an unnamed State Department alumnus ...

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/columbia-wikileaks-policy/

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

5. Common Sense: If you get caught reading/hosting unauthorized classified information...

You'll never get a Security Clearance in the future.
The ability to obtain a Security Clearance is necessary for many government jobs.

Pretty logical and totaly reasonable.
Unaware students need informed of this before they jeopardize thier future.

[bobburgster]

6. Wow, kind of scary!

K&R

[hobbit709]

7. What they want is people who never question anything.

you don't need to know what your government is doing behind your back in your name.

[sarcasmo]

9. Exactly, they want brain washed drones.

[sarcasmo]

8. Any doubt we are in a Police State?

[woo me with science]

10. Yeah, they wouldn't be interested in the students

who actually follow the news and have some idea of what is going on in the world and have enough curiosity to look up these things.

Better to hire someone who's been watching "Dancing with the Stars."

[mitchtv]

11. what's next? Seniors who read it

get cut off medicare and SS?

[howard112211]

12. Is this the Soviet Union?