MIT Attempts To Block Release of Documents In Aaron Swartz Case

Dputiger writes "In the wake of activist Aaron Swartz's suicide, MIT launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to his initial arrest and felony charges. It's now clear that the move was nothing but a face-saving gesture. Moments before the court-ordered release of Swartz's Secret Service file under the Freedom of Information Act, MIT intervened, asking the judge to block the release. Supposedly this is to protect the identities of MIT staff who might be harassed — but government policy is to redact such information already."

Comments

Sorry internet

[Anonymous Coward]

You don't get a license to drive people of an organization into suicide because some people in the same organization possibly drove someone into suicide. The world does not become a better place by free-roaming vigilantes, but by demanding accountability and transparency.

Re:Sorry internet

[Anonymous Coward]

Nobody drove Swartz into suicide.

He committed a crime, in spite of a warning from a top legal scholar (Lessig) that he consulted beforehand.

The government announced it would prosecute.

He killed himself.

The usual apologists stepped in... "Swartz was prosecuted for what, downloading a few documents?" No, millions of documents, and he did it on that scale deliberately to call attention to his act. And it wasn't the first time he had pulled that stunt either. After the first time he taunted law enforcement on his web page.

Re:Who?

[geekoid]

You're an idiot.

Did you notice the much of the government is also up in arms about what the NSA did?

Re:Pointless details. Let's look at the meat of it

[geekoid]

I like that yo didn't let your willful ignorance stop you from posting~

idiot.