Amazon has stopped hosting the Wikileaks website, according to US Senator Joe Lieberman.
US Senator demands an 'explanation'
Earlier this week reports surfaced that Wikileaks was running its website, which contains sensitive leaked cables sent among members of the US State Department, on Amazon's Web Services.
The US Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee contacted Amazon "for an explanation" after it learned that Amazon was hosting the site, Lieberman said.
"This morning Amazon informed my staff that it has ceased to host the Wikileaks website. I wish that Amazon had taken this action earlier based on Wikileaks' previous publication of classified material," Lieberman said.
"Wikileaks' illegal, outrageous, and reckless acts have compromised our national security and put lives at risk around the world."
He said that no "responsible company" should host the material. He also said that he intends to ask Amazon about the extent of its relationship with Wikileaks and about what it will do in the future to make sure that its services are not used to distribute stolen or classified information.
Since Amazon prides itself on the ease of using its cloud services, that could be tricky. Anyone with a credit card and an internet connection can sign up for and start using Amazon Web Services.
Amazon did not reply to a request for comment.
The State Department cables are the second major release of classified US government documents published by Wikileaks.
The first, issued earlier this year, included hundreds of thousands of documents about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. US government officials have decried the release of the confidential documents that sometimes contain embarrassing details about relationships with other governments.
Wikileaks has moved its hosting back to the Bahnhof ISP in Sweden, according to DNS checks.
See also: US presidential hopeful calls for WikiLeaks execution
Comments
marland said: Funny how we in the UK might say in reply Bush and Blairs illegal outrageous and reckless acts have compromised our national security and put lives at risk around the world
onion said: im surprised the wiki leaks guy hasnt had a mysterious accident
Funnygirlrie said: Just another government cover up The public should be able to access this information
Blacksmith said: The Yanks are running scared again How the hell were these guys allowed to get hold of this sensitive material in the first place Its like the English guy who hacked their defence computers It should not have happened If he could do it the Chinese must be having a field day The DoD must be using Microsoft software always buy USA products so that explains that Sarah Palin said that Julian Assange should be hunted down like Osama bin Laden so he will be alright there then These clowns call themselves the leaders of the free world God helps us
knocking on said: There is such a large amount of information being released that Wikileaks surely cannot know what they are releasing into the public domain or the effects it will have This is hardly a responsible protest in the name of freedom of information Smacks of megalomania
MatBailie said: Based in Jersey WhatBecause Amazon UK ship their products from Jersey you think the whole company is registered there RiiiiiiiightIt was founded by Bezos in 9495 And is Firmly an American company
RSebire said: AmazonAre they not based in the tax haven known as JerseyThe states their Im sure will not be best pleased beautiful island thoughHow does Amazons cloud model differ from that its competition Do they employee a Norm policy or use data transfer packet sniffersThe scary thing though is they can just turn your site off now even if your pauing for itMoney down the drain if you ask meArent the servers in a bank vault too
Censorship said: Bullies are always frightened by the truth