[vageli]

> No one is talking about the reality of removing a million sources from the internet. We’re talking about the legal consequences and 1st amendment rights of individuals.

> You do not have a 1st amendment right to post, for example, classified documents or protected intellectual property. If you post those things, even if 2,000 people posted them before you, the law can still come down on you.

Did the reporters who broke the pentagon papers see court? Only the source as I recall, which seems contrary to your statement.

[boomboomsubban]

>Did the reporters who broke the pentagon papers see court?

Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times_Co._v._United_S...

And the ruling was printing classified documents was protected, though the government is trying to reverse this ruling with the Assange case.

[vageli]

As I understand it, the government is not trying to reverse this ruling with the Assange case. The government posits that Assange helped in the acquisition of the documents, which is separate from their dissemination, IIRC.

[boomboomsubban]

Assange faces 18 charges, one of them has anything to do with his allegedly helping acquire documents. The others are violations of the Espionage Act for receiving and publishing documents. So until they drop all other charges, any "acquisition" he may have done is secondary to their attempt to outlaw publishing.