WikiLeaks ponders legal action against Google, US after ‘privacy violation’

Lawyer for Julian Assange Melinda Taylor, WikiLeaks journalists Kristinn Hrafnsson and Sarah Harrison and director of Julian Assange's legal team Baltasar Garzon address the media at Geneva Press Club. Photo: Reuters

WikiLeaks is fighting back after revelations Google handed over the emails and electronic data of the whistleblowing website's senior staff to the US authorities without providing notification until almost three years later.

Google was apparently acting in response to warrants issued by the US Department of Justice, which is investigating WikiLeaks for publishing hundreds of thousands of classified military and diplomatic files.

"Today, WikiLeaks' lawyers have written to Google and the US Department of Justice concerning a serious violation of the privacy and journalistic rights of WikiLeaks' staff," the site said in a statement.

Wikileaks is reportedly looking at legal action against both Google and the US government.

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"Any information that would be used from the taking of documents [this way] will be considered as biased, illegal and will cancel the whole proceedings," saidJulian Assange's lawyer Baltasar Garzn, as reported by The Guardian.

""I'm not sure what craziness what desperation went into the US to make them behave this way, but this is ... a clear violation of rights."

WikiLeaks said the allegations against it point to a far broader investigation into its activities than the US authorities have previously indicated.

Alleged offences range from espionage to theft of US government property and computer fraud and abuse, it said.

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WikiLeaks ponders legal action against Google, US after 'privacy violation'