Julian Assange
Julian Assange (born 3 July 1971 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia) is an Australian computer programmer and the founder of the WikiLeaks media organization. Assange, through WikiLeaks, released thousands of internal or classified papers from a variety of government and business organisations, practicing what he called "scientific journalism"—that is, giving primary source information with a minimum of editorial commentary. Under the alias "Mendax," Assange began hacking at the age of 16. He gained access to a variety of government, corporate, and educational networks over the course of four years, including the Pentagon, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Citibank, and Stanford University.
What Did He Do?
Assange went on to create WikiLeaks in 2006 as a platform for publishing news leaks and classified documents from anonymous sources. The United States launched an investigation against Assange in 2010 to charge him under the Espionage Act of 1917.
Where Is He Now?
After living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London from 2012 to 2019, Assange eventually had his asylum rights withdrawn, and police went into the embassy to arrest him. He is currently in prison in the UK, though the British courts have rejected the United States' extradition appeal.
- Born: 3 July 1971 (age 50)Townsville, Queensland, Australia
- Occupation: Editor, activist
