• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechWikiLeaks

WikiLeaks Says Julian Assange’s Internet Was ‘Severed By a State Party’

By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Don Reisinger
Don Reisinger
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2016, 11:04 AM ET
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange will only turn himself in if Chelsea Manning gets clemency.
Photograph by Oli Scarff—Getty Images

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been cut off from the digital world.

In a tweet early on Monday, WikiLeaks said that Assange’s Internet connection had “been intentionally severed.” The organization, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, said that Assange’s Internet access was cut off by an unidentified “state party.”

“We have activated the appropriate contingency plans,” the group said in the tweet without detailing what those plans might be.

Assange is currently living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London where he’s managing WikiLeaks. It’s unknown if the embassy itself was attacked or if only Assange was the victim of the alleged “severing.” The embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Assange and WikiLeaks first came into focus during the Iraq war as the site leaked videos and other information about the conflict. Since then, WikiLeaks has been home to several other government-related leaks and exposés.

On October 4, Assange held a press conference online, saying that his organization would release a slew of new documents to commemorate its 10th anniversary. So far, most of those leaks have included documents on Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, her and her team’s correspondence, and transcripts of speeches she gave for big banks and donors. The leaks have been seemingly meant to be damaging to Clinton’s campaign. But in light of the recent rash of accusations of sexual assault brought against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by several women, they’ve done little to derail Clinton’s bid for the White House.

Assange hasn’t said how he obtained the documents nor from whom, but it’s widely believed that people associated with the Russian government were involved in illegally accessing the data. The U.S. has already charged Russia with trying to influence the election, and recent reports say a cyber-offensive might soon be launched by the U.S. against Vladimir Putin’s government.

Julian Assange's internet link has been intentionally severed by a state party. We have activated the appropriate contingency plans.

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) October 17, 2016

Russia-based actors are also believed to have been behind a hack on the Democratic National Committee.

It’s unclear who might have targeted Assange and at least so far, WikiLeaks isn’t saying—even if it believes a government-sponsored actor took aim at its leader. It’s also unclear if the attack was politically motivated.

For more about WikiLeaks and Assange, watch:

Also missing from WikiLeaks is an explanation on just how Assange’s “Internet link” has been eliminated and if he has a backup connection, like one through a cellular network.

The organization’s last tweet was a solicitation for donations.

About the Author
By Don Reisinger
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AIData centers
Southeast Asia could become a booming data center market if its data centers can beat the heat
By Angelica AngMarch 26, 2026
3 hours ago
New Disney CEO Josh D'Amaro pictured
Arts & EntertainmentDisney
Disney CEO’s no good, very bad week: Josh D’Amaro is dealing with 3 major headaches in his first week
By Tristan BoveMarch 26, 2026
3 hours ago
startup team smiles in front of camera
CryptoCryptocurrency
Exclusive: Megapot raises $5 million to create a crypto-powered global lottery
By Carlos GarciaMarch 26, 2026
6 hours ago
Water storage construction on the Meta data center site in Holly Ridge, Richland Parish, Louisiana.
AIEye on AI
Inside Meta’s chaotic AI boomtown in rural Louisiana
By Sharon GoldmanMarch 26, 2026
7 hours ago
Harvey CEO Winston Weinberg
SuccessCareers
30-year-old CEO of $11 billion Harvey earned the backing of OpenAI and Sam Altman. He says you have to ‘re-earn’ your role every 6 months
By Preston ForeMarch 26, 2026
8 hours ago
SuccessHiring
Duolingo CEO’s taxi driver test decides who gets hired—before the interview even starts
By Sydney LakeMarch 26, 2026
9 hours ago

Most Popular

C-Suite
'I didn’t want anybody shooting me': Five Guys CEO gave away $1.5 million bonus to employees over botched BOGO burger birthday celebration
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
1 day ago
Success
Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
2 days ago
Environment
Vail Resorts CEO says it’s time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that helped build the empire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
17 hours ago
Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
3 days ago
Success
JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon says remote work breeds ‘rope-a-dope politics’ and stunts young workers’ growth
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
1 day ago
Magazine
The youngest-ever female CEO of a Fortune 500 company is fighting Trump's cuts to keep Medicaid strong
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.