Man responsible for precursor to Wikileaks, John L. Young, passes away at 89.
John "Amateur Whistleblower" Young: The Relentless Pioneer of Digital Transparency
John L. Young, numerously hailed as an unsung hero of the digital era and co-founder of the trailblazing transparency platform Cryptome, bade farewell to this world on March 28th in the crowded streets of New York City. His demise, a hushed affair compared to the tempestuous disclosures that characterized his trailblazing work, paints a poignant picture.
The muted obituary was declared by Archinect, a journal geared towards architects, on June 4th:
"John L. Young, architect and co-founder (alongside Deborah Natsios) of Cryptome, passed away in March," the article stated, leaving out any further elaborations. As reported by The New York Times, he breathed his last at a rehabilitation facility in Manhattan.
Decades prior to the world becoming acquainted with the concept of organized digital leaks, Young was among the first to perceive the profound potential of the developing internet. He foresaw its power to publish confidential government documents online, thus helping citizens gain information and holding the strong accountable for their actions.
Since June 1996—an entire decade before WikiLeaks came into existence—Cryptome has tirelessly published tens of thousands of documents "forbidden by governments across the globe, particularly those pertaining to freedom of expression, privacy, and cryptology," as the site's creators meticulously note. Young founded Cryptome, which he affectionately termed a "free public library," as a genuine predecessor to WikiLeaks, courageously publishing raw government documents, both classified and unclassified.
When Barack Obama's close protection team's photographs and comprehensive transcripts of security arrangements devised by the U.S. Department of Defense were unveiled, it was Cryptome that took the spotlight, not WikiLeaks. Exposés such as detailed plans of sensitive installations were characteristic of Cryptome, not WikiLeaks' repertoire.
In a notable event in 2011, Cryptome made global headlines by releasing the unredacted version of the 251,000 U.S. diplomatic cables that WikiLeaks had procured in 2010. At the time, WikiLeaks and its media partners had only published a few thousand of these documents, meticulously redacting sensitive information such as the names and contact details of individuals deemed susceptible.
Critics and the U.S. government ardently argued at the time that Cryptome's unredacted publication could potentially endanger sources mentioned in the documents, particularly informants working for American embassies in authoritarian regimes or conflict zones.
In a defiant face-off with the U.S. government, Young staunchly defended Julian Assange during his prolonged standoff with the authorities in 2020. The U.S. administration sought Assange's extradition, accusing him of offenses akin to treason. Young viewed this as persecution and audaciously challenged the U.S. government to pursue him as well.
"I published unredacted diplomatic cables on Cryptome.org on September 1, 2011, under the URL https://cryptome.org/z/z.7z, and that publication remains accessible at the present," he asserted in a resolute statement to the Department of Justice in 2020, a copy of which can be found on Cryptome.org. "Since my publication on Cryptome.org of the unredacted diplomatic cables, no U.S. law enforcement authority has notified me that this publication of the cables is unlawful, consists of or contributes to a crime in any way, nor have they asked for them to be removed."
Characterized by its minimalist design, Cryptome's website serves as a link to both hosted documents and external articles. Young, a Manhattan architect who also served as the site's administrator, self-effacingly described himself as an "amateur" whistleblower, distinct from those "with a greater purpose." It is perhaps this unassuming nature that set him apart; when Julian Assange himself approached Young to join forces with WikiLeaks, Young politely declined.
It is safe to assume that Young was not favored by U.S. intelligence agencies, who frequently criticized him for publishing highly sensitive documents, including lists of agents' names. His groundbreaking website also endured incessant scrutiny, facing "several times a day" attacks from computer robots designed to analyze the content of its pages, a testament to the persistent threat posed by those whose secrets he exposed.
Young, a left-wing activist who graduated from Columbia University, leaves behind his wife (Natsios) and three children from his previous marriage.
Enrichment Data:
John L. Young, a New York architect, was a pioneering figure in digital transparency. He co-founded Cryptome in 1996 with Deborah Natsios, establishing the site as an online library and a 501(c)(3) private foundation dedicated to publishing documents related to government surveillance, cryptology, privacy, and related topics[1][2]. Cryptome became known for hosting leaked government documents, including sensitive materials that were sometimes published before they appeared on other platforms such as WikiLeaks[1].
Young's approach to transparency was uncompromising. Cryptome provided a platform for whistleblowers and transparency advocates to release information anonymously or under their own names. The site’s open publication policy made it a key resource for journalists, researchers, and activists seeking material that governments or corporations often sought to suppress[1]. Notably, in 2020, Cryptome testified that it had published unredacted diplomatic cables before WikiLeaks itself, and that it never received law enforcement requests to remove these documents[1].
John Young's conflicts with WikiLeaks are well-documented. He was highly critical of the organization's handling of whistleblower anonymity and information security, publicly stating that he would not trust WikiLeaks with sensitive information due to perceived risks to both sources and the public[1]. Young made strong accusations against WikiLeaks, calling it a “criminal organization” and accusing it of selling classified material, while also personally criticizing Julian Assange[1]. This adversarial stance extended to personal attacks, with Young comparing Assange to Henry Kissinger and alleging financial support for WikiLeaks from figures such as George Soros and the Koch brothers[1]. Despite their rivalry, WikiLeaks archived Cryptome’s content in 2015, acknowledging its importance within the transparency community[1].
Cryptome's activities repeatedly drew attention from U.S. authorities. Young's dedication to transparency led him to openly challenge the U.S. government. In December 2022, he wrote to the Department of Justice, arguing that since he had published many of the same leaked government documents at the center of the U.S. case against Julian Assange, he should be indicted as a co-defendant for violating the Espionage Act[1]. This bold move underscored his belief that transparency initiatives should not be selectively prosecuted.
John Young's legacy continues to resonate. Although Cryptome temporarily closed in 2023 (reportedly until Julian Assange is released), its influence remains significant[1][2]. Young passed away on March 28, 2025, but his contributions continue to inspire debates about government secrecy, press freedom, and digital rights[2].
- In a time when the concept of organized digital leaks was still emerging, technology pioneer John Young, co-founder of Cryptome, foresaw the internet's potential for publishing confidential government documents online, paving the way for tech-driven transparency in the future.
- The tech-oriented publication, Gizmodo, reported on Young's groundbreaking work, highlighting his unwavering dedication to digital transparency and his impact on the future of tech journalism, general news, and politics.
- In the face of political backlash and government scrutiny, Cryptome, the tech civilization's precursor to WikiLeaks, continued to publish sensitive documents, leading discussions on the intersection of technology, politics, and freedom of information in the tech landscape.
