A Look Into What The Manning Verdict Means For The Tech Industry


The long-running trial of Wikileaks whistle-blower Pfc. Bradley Manning came to a key (if preliminary) conclusion this week, with Judge Denise Lind announcing a verdict that contained both good and bad news for Manning: He has been found innocent of the very serious charge of “aiding the enemy,” but guilty of 19 other lesser counts. His sentencing for these crimes has yet to be determined.

It’s a situation that has captured the interest of many people but has especially meaningful implications for the tech industry (and the people who use its products), so it was a big pleasure to have Rainey Reitman stop by the TechCrunch TV studio this week to help elucidate what it all means. As the co-founder and COO of the Freedom of the Press Foundation and a full-time staffer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Reitman has been keeping close tabs on the Manning case since Manning’s leaks of classified U.S. military documents first came to light back in 2010 — in fact, in her spare time she founded the Bradley Manning Support Network to help support Manning in his trial. There are few people more well-versed in all aspects of this subject than she.

Watch the video embedded above to hear about why people who love technology should care about what happens to Bradley Manning, the implications of this verdict on future tech-related trials (and there will likely be many more), how the legal system needs to become more tech-savvy, how average people can get involved to ensure justice is served for Manning and others, and much more.