A mysterious new countdown website called AssangeLeaks has appeared, with the pro-transparency group behind June’s BlueLeaks release likely behind it.
The AssangeLeaks site remains just a black screen with DDoSecret’s logo and a simple countdown clock. That clock is due to reveal the site’s contents at 3am, Wednesday, July 15 AEST. What exactly it will reveal remains a mystery.
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“This page is a simple countdown to 5 PM GMT July 14th. When the countdown ends, it reloads the front page. You are now entrusted with counting down on your own, and traveling to the front page manually. We believe in you,” the site’s script reads.
— Emma Best ????️???????? (Mx. Yzptlk) (@NatSecGeek) July 13, 2020
While no other information is available, the group’s co-founder, Emma Best, suggested on Twitter it had some connection to Julian Assange’s WikiLeaks.
DDoSecrets behind the major BlueLeaks release in June
DDoSecrets is a group of pro-transparency advocates, best known for their major BlueLeaks release in June 2020. That repository contained 269 gigabytes of police data from more than 200 local, state and federal law authorities in the United States. Some of the information dated back to as early as 1996 and included confidential emails, audio and video files, along with details of the intelligence-gathering tools used by some U.S. forces.
I interviewed @DDoSecrets cofounder Emma Best about #BlueLeaks, 269 gigs of files from 200+ law enforcement orgs, given to Best’s secret-spilling group by a source aligned w/ Anonymous. Likely the most significant Anonymous operation in nearly a decade. https://t.co/PTEdopfCWZ
— Andy Greenberg (@a_greenberg) June 22, 2020
The leak was monumental in size but also led to their removal from Twitter due to distribution of hacked material. A Twitter spokesperson told Gizmodo it was specifically banned due to the publishing of files containing un-redacted personal information that could put certain individuals in harm’s way.
German authorities reportedly seized a server used by DDOSecrets to host some of its sensitive documents just a few days ago. While it wasn’t clear which documents had been seized specifically, Best tweeted the German operation was potentially related to the release of its BlueLeaks files.
We have received official confirmation that #DDoSecrets‘ primary public download server was seized by German authorities (Department of Public Prosecution Zwickau file number AZ 210 AR 396/20)
We are working to obtain additional information, but presume it is re #BlueLeaks.
— Emma Best ????️???????? (Mx. Yzptlk) (@NatSecGeek) July 7, 2020
Best also confirmed the server was only used to distribute the files but would not lead investigators to any of the sources who might have aided in access or dissemination.
Gizmodo Australia contacted DDoSecrets to understand what the site is counting down to and if it contained any information relating to Australian authorities but it did not respond in time for publication. Given it’s set to drop within the day, we’ll find out soon enough.
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