How the Panama Papers journalists broke the biggest leak in history | Gerard Ryle

Gerard Ryle led the international team that divulged the Panama Papers, the 11.5 million leaked documents from 40 years of activity of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca that have offered an unprecedented glimpse into the scope and methods of the secretive world of offshore finance. Hear the story behind the biggest collaborative journalism project in history.
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[@ferelpuma]

Awesome work guys. These people are true heroes. Thank you for all you do.

[@rabbitholesinc]

When talking about the concern, the anxiety, that someone would break ranks and move ahead alone I was brought to remembering that scene in Braveheart when William Wallace kept repeating, "Hold...hold...hooooooooold." and then they charged as one. I imagine it must have felt exactly like that for all of you. Good work. Well done. Bravo! To be proud with absolute certainty. You held your individual integrity to the test and each came out on top. I'm proud of all of you.

[@mmlas8683]

This is great investigative journalism, but what actually happened after we all found this out?

[@PrestigePotato]

The rich and powerful stayed rich and powerful.

[@mmlas8683]

Prestige Potato Pretty much..

[@HiAdrian]

Messi got sued. Other than that, business as usual it would seem.

[@leTRodz]

The PM of Iceland had to resign because of civilian unrest. Probably played a role in David Cameron's step-out as well. AAaaand that's about it.

[@SomebodyPerfectly]

Some people of public interest that don't have political immunity (Like Putin and his blackmoney boys) and one or the other millionaire will get sued for, lets say about 40% of what they made in their combined scams. As always: even if people break the system, they forget to clean up the shards, then proceed to cut themselves

[@passives0n]

The Internet is such an amazing tool. It's no wonder why so many governments and private entities are collaborating for control. TED is also amazing, thanks for producing such a fine forum.

[@davidwuhrer6704]

I think this is the most significant part of the story: The internet changed the business model of journalism, disrupting it, threatening it, but it also made journalists more powerful. Those journalists who use the net as envisioned by the academics who built it, at least. I seem to remember newspapers suing Google for driving traffic to their sites. What got me most excited was that those journalists became cryptanarchists in the process: Building darknets in which to coordinate their work, exactly as Julian Assange recommended, and exactly as we were warned criminals and terrorists would do. And the fact that these "old media" agents are so tech savvy surely shows how the world has already changed, lingering 20th century mindsets notwithstanding.

[@passives0n]

These Journalists did an amazing job in creating a "blackout" within the Web to collaborate on this. With the number of Journalists and country's involved, and a huge amount of data being shared for almost a year, any number of people and agencies looking for just this kind of stuff, were unable to discover them. That's impressive on it's own merits and debunks the claims by many that the Internet is vulnerable.

[@passives0n]

These Journalists did an amazing job in creating a "blackout" within the Web to collaborate on this. With the number of Journalists and country's involved, and a huge amount of data being shared for almost a year, any number of people and agencies looking for just this kind of stuff, were unable to discover them. That's impressive on it's own merits and debunks the claims by many that the Internet is vulnerable.

[@davidwuhrer6704]

You call it a “blackout”. I call it a darknet, because that is what it is. Unbreakable cryptography is cheap and easy. The internet is vulnerable where it isn't used properly, where it affects the everyday users. For example: Why aren't all emails encrypted?

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

Because actual cryptography requires a lock and a key. And sending/storing the key together with the lock is somewhat redundant. To be sure you have to send the key by other means than the lock, which also means that the recipient has to be somehow aware of this process, especially in our time of semi-intelligent algorithms. If you want it secure, each connection has to have it's own set of key and lock that are physically separated, which will quickly become confusing. Secure encryption is just not a technology suitable for mainstream intercourse.

[@KathrynDavison]

76 countries. Talk about teamwork. Your organization (ICIJ) is like my dream come true.

[@TheEllieliz2]

brave journalism stint. Appreciate very much.

[@community1854]

Definitely donating to this org. Thanks for the great work.

[@SomebodyPerfectly]

The bigger leak is big companies paying less tax per year than a lottery-winner....

[@bojidarmartinov5949]

woah

[@madisonimogen1028]

Watch when internet will be switched off.

[@potenvandebizon]

I feel that corruption in governments is like weeds is a garden: when the garden is unkept, it gets completely overgrown. The journalists are the gardeners. These guys are all the presidents men of today.

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

The fact that changes everything and that you're missing is that the difference between a weed and a desirable plant is in the eye of the beholder.

[@potenvandebizon]

Sadly true in this case.

[@InfiniteNallidge]

I still think the Ashley Madison hack affected more change...

[@ChRiyad]

it was divorce lawyers wet dream

[@thallysonpedromoura3313]

Realmente é um conteúdo de qualidade.

[@adwaitmishra6085]

amazing...hard work can do anything

[@tummyfungus]

i want to hug John Doe so bad, i’ve been in poverty my whole life and it feels like i’ll never have enough time or power to change all of this. all i want is to bring people out of poverty, i’ve seen and heard so many awful things that’s happened as a result of it. it’s not fair to watch these elites do whatever they want to stay rich and control us, now the evidence is coming out and we’re seeing it.

[@aurelionova1344]

6yrs later and...Nothing absolutely nothing done about this lol. The golden rule in effect

[@SUWZ433]

it'd take you 2 entire minutes to look up that numerous figures mentioned in the panama papers are either waiting for trial or already prosecuted.

[@olliloco]

They lough at us all from their ivory tower!

[@fleXcope]

The future of journalism (in terms of presentation format) will be immersive videos and VR platforms

[@alanjones4333]

awesome for not breaking the pact.

[@nittygritty7034]

Is he sped up?

[@50gent1]

where are the files please i want to search people and uncover injustice?

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

Better trust the journalists, they always tell the truth and they know what is best for you.

[@ArchonLicht]

How can I trust any of their info if the underlying documents weren't published?

[@stevowang5415]

Publishing all the unedited documents would be a breach of confidentiality as not everyone detailed in the Panama leak were involved in criminal activity.

[@ArchonLicht]

They did publish some of the documents not caring about any breach of confidentiality - like passport of Ukrainian president Poroshenko, who wasn't actually involved in any criminal activity either. So why not publish it all then? How do we even know whether there was any criminal activity? Are there any court rulings resulting from Panama leaks? As far as I know, all the consequences are in a PR space.

[@stevowang5415]

Saur True, that's a fair point I still think there's some political twists in this whole situation. The greatest stash of confidential documents which affects some of the most influential and important figures in the world. Something tells me they're being very careful about which documents they make public, at risk of prosecution by a powerful third party.

[@Desert2GardenLV]

Kayshe

[@TehPompkinHead]

Not counting cosmic disclosure of course

[@GALENGODIS]

I don't get why they don't share the source docs?

[@fargonotic]

Project Prometheus I can dig it

[@tamlamoore7962]

PAY YOUR TAXES.. THIS IS TURTLE ISLAND

[@davidmeza3157]

What changed?

[@swatikoulsk]

wow!

[@philandros3195]

Why are the "underlying documents" not released?

[@DeoMachina]

It's probably illegal to release the real data, but no law stops them from telling everybody what they found.

[@ekmad]

Because these are "managed leaks" from "journalists", it's not a real leak at all

[@DeoMachina]

***** You don't have any evidence supporting that theory.

[@hugodiazroa]

+

[@philandros3195]

DeoMachina Well, maybe so. But they're asking for quite a leap of faith, when they're not releasing the documents.

[@suziegreer7975]

From as far as i can gather with a few of us handling just a few of the panama papers we had or should i say a small party(perhaps including this person) let me add here i only handled them. The point im trying to get to here is seperate and i hope you can see the effort from the people who have given out vital evidence for the countries they where concerned with, let me add here at the time i just couldnt help but judge these people, but like i have said i hope they understand. It is by the uncovering of these files that these galant people have done that i have recovered information that should be made public that is still under investigation that i am now going to give my all (with no excuses about my disabilities because if you"all can put such a tremendous amount of effort in especially the girl who worked so hard, you put me to shame by the way) then so can i, thank you i hope you are all ok.

[@rtrumble832]

Where were these guys during Covid?!

[@aravindkm2012]

TOo bad they fizzled out as fast as they came.Nothing which could change the world happen

[@jacklynyeh4893]

or maybe simply it wasn't america that reported on it.

[@RayWilliamJohansen]

Zero fucks were given.

[@MrVinnyable1]

agreed

[@eaglecentury3409]

Fucks were given for 3 days.

[@nounou595959]

Iceland ;)

[@MrVinnyable1]

+yann flandrin who cares about iceland

[@juanamado9508]

How do they reconcile the fact that, in order to report on illegal/unethical conduct, they obtained information in an illegal/unethical fashion?

[@MrVinnyable1]

lol. you can take all your bullshit Samaritan values and stuff em up your backside.

[@snarf1504]

By weighing what's worse.

[@MajkaSrajka]

They did not. Someone other did.

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

+MajkraSrajka The AiU defense.

[@MajkaSrajka]

TheAnnoyingGunner Atlantic International University? American InterContinental University? ASSOCIATION OF INDIAN UNIVERSITIES? American InterContinental University? [...] Are you claiming these 350 journalists shouldn't do this because 'its stolen' or what?

[@lowellford3419]

Nothing happened...they just laughed, so what are you going to do about it?

[@jimscobie6646]

Nothing will happen. In time it will be forgotten.

[@WakeRunSleep]

What happened with this?

[@CR-vr4jq]

Heroes . What happened to the tax avoiders ? Nothing, is says a lot about the world

[@user-ph2nu9ky4e]

Who else clicked just because they saw their national newspaper on the cover?

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

Slightly egocentric.

[@openm1ndead]

Seriously, a speaker journalist who cannot correctly pronounce foreign words like Asahi Shimbun and Vladimir? What a shame.

[@sarahhynes4215]

Vladimir Yerilov that’s so stupid When you don’t speak the language it’s hard to understand what way your mouth is supposed to move.

[@resto95]

and they still rule the world

[@user-fi7yd6ey9g]

好

[@pashotik]

Ну и чем в итоге все кончилось, кроме как для Исландии?

[@babybeel8787]

Hello, so I'm just a 12 year old kid, so I've heard about the Panama Papers case but I don't really know what it's all about, so if someone could tell me :/ also I'm french so sorry for my medium english level ^^

[@AndreaCremoni]

www.giyf.com :P

[@babybeel8787]

Lmao

[@5iF3R]

Put in some research, read, think, start early. It's good for you. You'll be the smartest kid on the block ^^

[@DeoMachina]

I will explain it as simply as I can: The rich people in the world pay companies of tiny little nations to hide their money, so that they pay less tax to their home country. One person stole all the data that proved this, and gave it to journalists! It is a LOT of data.

[@BankruptGreek]

+DeoMachina so what are the biggest scandals that were fount in the data? icelanding goverment officials , Putin and fifa are the ones mentioned, anything else that I missed?

[@tamlamoore7962]

TAMLA TANETTE MOORE IS THE MOST HIGH AND UNSTOPPABLE TOO 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@rabbitholesinc]

Question: How far does the Rabbit Hole go for Israel and Netanyahu?

[@MrBoysOG]

Deep, Kissinger and rothschild

[@Techtips200]

no American on the list ..and it did not make any big change ..so impact was missing

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

The American is the pinnacle of human evolution.

[@Techtips200]

+TheAnnoyingGunner thks for ur opinion

[@stevowang5415]

I don't think being "bigger" than the average human is a healthy human evolution.

[@ryanwporter]

The internet needs to be protected. Companies like Google and Apple are going to be the death of this kind of much needed transparency.

[@AKU-in3tu]

Русскоговорящие есть?)

[@sheilacape4794]

Its this, its that; it's not explaining what "it" is!!! Get james Gregory out here!!!!

[@OnE61811301]

Yeah, yeah... veeeery big leak, and a very careful one. We've heard that story. Where's the original database dump, pristine, without any politically-correct edits? :)

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

You missed how current journalism works.

[@OnE61811301]

Why would you think it has ever worked otherwise?

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

OnE61811301 I'm not really entitled to speak on my ancestors behalf... But it's no secret that things worked differently before the rise of the internet and social media. Just look up the combination "journalism history" and whatever country you prefer.

[@OnE61811301]

Every country, even every local party uses media to shout their crap(sorry - their version of "truth"). My country taught my parents that USA is evil and USSR has "freed" my country, now the regime has changed - Russia is bad, EU is heaven, USA is cool. I'm sure you or your parents had similar "information" about USSR being evil, etc. What you are absolutely right about is that the Internet gives light to anyone who needs attention, so in addition to politically-correct news, you also get tin-hat idiots, clickbait news sites, etc... :)

[@user-vh7jx7vq9g]

#اصحاب_خلدلد

[@elcabbage2306]

I can't figure out his accent

[@DeoMachina]

Irish I think

[@rahishah8033]

I think it's Irish

[@kaxias]

FALSE!!! In Portugal we still don't have any of the politicians name's...

[@goldenstandard187]

Lolololol

[@barryg1965]

Are any Bidens or other US Officials in these documents?

[@tamlamoore7962]

TAMLA TANETTE MOORE IS THE MOST HIGH AND UNSTOPPABLE TOO..EXPOSE ALL..ASE HEKA AMEN RA AHO MOORE NATION GRAND RISING..KNOWLEDGE OF SELF

I don't see any problem with an offshore. An offshore is simply a company registered abroad. Is that illegal? Is that worth investigating? What's the problem with people trying to pay less taxes? The problem is the existence of taxes and huge and unnecessary Government spending using peoples money. This is the first "dislike" I give in KZbin.

[@DeoMachina]

Taxes and government spending are what allowed these rich people to get rich in the first place.

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

I guess you have enough money to build and maintain your own streets, your own water connection, your own facilities to recycle solid and liquid waste and of course to do the same for all the shops you like to buy from, so you don't have to wade through waste and catch cholera during shopping. Tax really is just stealing money from people, they don't get anything in return.

Most of government spending, no matter what country in the world, goes to subsidies and transfers, not on building and maintaining infrastructure.

[@DeoMachina]

José Joaquín Fernández I had a look at my country's budget, you're incorrect in your assumption.

[@moayadmaq7532]

ولله انها حقارة انو يكون 13 ترجمة في الفيدية و منها العبرية الي عدد متحدثيها قليل جدا اما اللغة العربية الي عدد متحدثيها نص مليار مش موجودة انا اعتبرها عنصرية الي معي يا شباب يحط لايك

[@TheAnnoyingGunner]

I love the smell of napalm in the morning.