--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There isn't much question that the person…" description: "\"There isn't much question that the person who obtained the WikiLeaks cables from a classified U.S. government network broke U.S. law and should expect ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_acquired_there-isn-t-much-question-that-the-perso_2756195.jpg" --- # There isn't much question that the person who obtained the… ![“There isn't much question that the person who obtained the WikiLeaks cables from a classified U.S. government network broke U.S. law and should expect to face the consequences. The legal rights of a website that publishes material acquired from that person, however, are much more controversial.” quote by Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_acquired_there-isn-t-much-question-that-the-perso_2756195.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_acquired_there-isn-t-much-question-that-the-perso_2756195.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f52/rebecca-mackinnon-1815_acquired_there-isn-t-much-question-that-the-perso_2756195.jpg) > “There isn't much question that the person who obtained the WikiLeaks cables from a classified U.S. government network broke U.S. law and should expect to face the consequences. The legal rights of a website that publishes material acquired from that person, however, are much more controversial.” [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The act of obtaining classified leaks is illegal, but publishing them raises complex free‑speech and legal debates. **In simple terms:** Getting leaks is illegal; publishing them is controversial. Key Takeaway Balance transparency with legal limits. Themes law ethics media government freedom of speech Mood serious thoughtful Type ethical political When to use this quote - news reporting - legal defense Key Concepts public interest journalism national security Questions to Reflect On - Should publishers be held liable for source crimes? - How to protect whistleblowers while respecting law? A Different Perspective Legal consequences for publishers remain unclear. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequences/) [Controversial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/controversial/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Legal rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legal-rights/) [Obtained](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obtained/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [Wikileaks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wikileaks/) ## Related quotes > [You know, in the WikiLeaks cables, the Chinese discovered that Kevin Rudd was urging the Americans to keep the military option open against them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-keating/you-know-in-the-wikileaks-cables-the-chinese-discovered-that-kevin/) [Paul Keating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-keating/) > [I was always unlawful; I broke the law when I was born because my parents weren't married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-was-always-unlawful-i-broke-the-law-when-i-was-born-because-my/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Father, what are you to do now?” Triton’s sneer grew scarier. “She broke the law.” turning away from the terrified faces of his daughters.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khalia-hades/father-what-are-you-to-do-now-triton-s-sneer-grew-scarier-she-broke/) [Khalia Hades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khalia-hades/) > [When in UK you pay ''fine'' if you broke the law, while in Morocco it's ''just fine''.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachid-jouhadi/when-in-uk-you-pay-fine-if-you-broke-the-law-while-in-morocco-it-s/) Rachid Jouhadi > [Most liberties have been won by people who broke the law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-foot/most-liberties-have-been-won-by-people-who-broke-the-law/) [Michael Foot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-foot/) > [“He walked away. It was a shame really, but what could I do? He was the law; I broke the law, two things one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-hullender/he-walked-away-it-was-a-shame-really-but-what-could-i-do-he-was-the/) Dawn Hullender > [But simply someone who broke the law, came here, say, 'I'll give you citizenship now,' that I don't think is going to happen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-goodlatte/but-simply-someone-who-broke-the-law-came-here-say-i-ll-give-you/) [Bob Goodlatte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-goodlatte/) > [Vote Leave broke the law. I can say that out loud now. Vote Leave broke the law. But nothing happened.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/vote-leave-broke-the-law-i-can-say-that-out-loud-now-vote-leave-broke/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [ They \[illegal immigrants\] broke the law, but it's not a felony, it's an act of love. It's an act of commitment to your family. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeb-bush/they-illegal-immigrants-broke-the-law-but-it-s-not-a-felony-it-s-an/) [Jeb Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeb-bush/) > [Caesar broke the law when he crossed the Rubicon," Frank said. "Great leaders have to think out side the box sometimes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/caesar-broke-the-law-when-he-crossed-the-rubicon-frank-said-great/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Richard Nixon clearly broke the law in the cover up of Watergate and hush money payments. That was all criminal activity. With these guys,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-hersh/richard-nixon-clearly-broke-the-law-in-the-cover-up-of-watergate-and/) [Seymour Hersh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-hersh/) > [I made mistakes and I broke the law and I'm more than willing to pay a price for that. But there's a price beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paula-poundstone/i-made-mistakes-and-i-broke-the-law-and-i-m-more-than-willing-to-pay/) [Paula Poundstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paula-poundstone/) > [While I support immigration regulated through a legal framework, I do not support rewarding those who broke the law to get here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/while-i-support-immigration-regulated-through-a-legal-framework-i-do/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Yes, they broke the law, but we can't deport them. Let's get over this pointing fingers and do something about that, whether it -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bloomberg/yes-they-broke-the-law-but-we-can-t-deport-them-let-s-get-over-this/) [Michael Bloomberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bloomberg/) > [I didn't want to give up my Illinois driver's license and was unaware that was a crime. It is, by the way, in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/i-didn-t-want-to-give-up-my-illinois-driver-s-license-and-was-unaware/) [Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/) ## More by Rebecca MacKinnon > [If China someday gains a more fair, just, and accountable system of government, it will be due to the hard work and efforts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-china-someday-gains-a-more-fair-just-and-accountable-system-of/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [In January 2012, Google Plus started to roll out support for nicknames and pseudonyms, but those registering with a name other than their real-life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/in-january-2012-google-plus-started-to-roll-out-support-for-nicknames/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [It becomes dangerous for somebody who doesn't want their boss to know their sexual preference to use online networks to push for laws supporting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/it-becomes-dangerous-for-somebody-who-doesn-t-want-their-boss-to-know/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [If high-tech companies are serious about doing the right thing, they can join together and lobby for more transparency and accountability in the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/if-high-tech-companies-are-serious-about-doing-the-right-thing-they/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Any new legal measures, or cooperative arrangements between government and companies meant to keep people from organizing violence or criminal actions, must not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/any-new-legal-measures-or-cooperative-arrangements-between-government/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Every news organization needs a social media strategy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/every-news-organization-needs-a-social-media-strategy/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Professional camera crews are rarely there when a bomb goes off or a rocket lands. They usually show up afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/professional-camera-crews-are-rarely-there-when-a-bomb-goes-off-or-a/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Google's entire business model and its planning for the future are banking on an open and free Internet. And it will not succeed if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/google-s-entire-business-model-and-its-planning-for-the-future-are/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [A number of countries, including Russia and China, have put forward proposals to regulate aspects of the Internet like 'crime' and 'security' that are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/a-number-of-countries-including-russia-and-china-have-put-forward/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [You don't have to be a nerd or a programmer or a network engineer to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-nerd-or-a-programmer-or-a-network-engineer-to/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [A moral argument about whether censorship is good or bad deteriorates quickly into accusations about who is more or less patriotic, moral, pious, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/a-moral-argument-about-whether-censorship-is-good-or-bad-deteriorates/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [There's a real contradiction that's difficult to explain to the West and the outside world about China and about the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/there-s-a-real-contradiction-that-s-difficult-to-explain-to-the-west/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [The relationship between citizens and government is increasingly mediated through the Internet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/the-relationship-between-citizens-and-government-is-increasingly/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Consistently, Baidu has censored politically sensitive search results much more thoroughly than Google.cn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/consistently-baidu-has-censored-politically-sensitive-search-results/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [Human rights in cyberspace are really no different from rights in the physical world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/human-rights-in-cyberspace-are-really-no-different-from-rights-in-the/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) [Explore all 206 Rebecca MacKinnon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) ## More Acquired quotes > [My first company, Pure Software, was exciting and innovative in the first few years and bureaucratic and painful in the last few before it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-hastings/my-first-company-pure-software-was-exciting-and-innovative-in-the/) [Reed Hastings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-hastings/) > [I think the inhabitants of the past are fighting hard to keep the rents they acquired in the 20th century.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/i-think-the-inhabitants-of-the-past-are-fighting-hard-to-keep-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [Maybe you could put it out there that I don't have a built-in dislike of ballads. That was kind of the reputation I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-perry/maybe-you-could-put-it-out-there-that-i-don-t-have-a-built-in-dislike/) [Joe Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-perry/) > [Confidence is acquired through failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-p-smith/confidence-is-acquired-through-failure/) [Corey P Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-p-smith/) > [“it seemed to her that she had acquired not virtues but a form of dementia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/it-seemed-to-her-that-she-had-acquired-not-virtues-but-a-form-of/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The experience of opposing mass movements was acquired by the KGB during perestroika. It was then that the politicians decided to develop and nourish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-bukovsky/the-experience-of-opposing-mass-movements-was-acquired-by-the-kgb/) [Vladimir Bukovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-bukovsky/) > [“I have acquired you, and now I will determine your value to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-peate/i-have-acquired-you-and-now-i-will-determine-your-value-to-me/) [Robert Peate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-peate/) > [When I was thirteen years old, I didn't exactly discover epic fantasy on my own. I acquired it as a social defence mechanism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tansy-rayner-roberts/when-i-was-thirteen-years-old-i-didn-t-exactly-discover-epic-fantasy/) [Tansy Rayner Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tansy-rayner-roberts/) > [I grew up in South Africa without a television; there was no television, and the year after I left, television arrived in South Africa,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-krige/i-grew-up-in-south-africa-without-a-television-there-was-no/) Alice Krige > [In my early teens, I acquired a kind of representative status: went on behalf of the family to wakes and funerals and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seamus-heaney/in-my-early-teens-i-acquired-a-kind-of-representative-status-went-on/) [Seamus Heaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seamus-heaney/) > [Nothing jazzes me up like football. I've acquired more passion of the years, not less. Not to love it wouldn't make sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-madden/nothing-jazzes-me-up-like-football-i-ve-acquired-more-passion-of-the/) [John Madden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-madden/) > [Mr. Tyler acquired Texas by voluntary compact, and Mr. Polk California and New Mexico by successful war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-toombs/mr-tyler-acquired-texas-by-voluntary-compact-and-mr-polk-california/) [Robert Toombs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-toombs/) > [At least in part, people are attracted to subjects where they can identify at a basic level with the people who do it. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-geller/at-least-in-part-people-are-attracted-to-subjects-where-they-can/) [Margaret Geller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-geller/) > [Twombly, frankly, was an acquired taste. 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