[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.73,0:00:05.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Once upon a time, the world was a big, dysfunctional family.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:05.90,0:00:09.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was run by the great and powerful parents,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.33,0:00:11.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and the people were helpless
Dialogue: 0,0:00:11.67,0:00:14.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and hopeless naughty children.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.16,0:00:16.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If any of the more rowdier children questioned
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.67,0:00:20.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the authority of the parents, they were scolded.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.24,0:00:23.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If they went exploring into the parents' rooms,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:23.28,0:00:27.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or even into the secret filing cabinets, they were punished,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:27.06,0:00:29.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and told that for their own good
Dialogue: 0,0:00:29.81,0:00:33.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they must never go in there again.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.44,0:00:35.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then one day, a man came to town
Dialogue: 0,0:00:35.94,0:00:38.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with boxes and boxes of secret documents
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.74,0:00:40.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,stolen from the parents' rooms.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.60,0:00:44.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Look what they've been hiding from you," he said.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.63,0:00:47.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The children looked and were amazed.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.67,0:00:50.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There were maps and minutes from meetings
Dialogue: 0,0:00:50.51,0:00:53.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where the parents were slagging each other off.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.78,0:00:56.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They behaved just like the children.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.33,0:01:00.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they made mistakes, too, just like the children.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:00.28,0:01:02.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The only difference was, their mistakes
Dialogue: 0,0:01:02.100,0:01:05.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,were in the secret filing cabinets.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.82,0:01:08.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, there was a girl in the town, and she didn't think
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.62,0:01:11.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they should be in the secret filing cabinets,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:11.49,0:01:13.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or if they were, there ought to be a law
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.39,0:01:15.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to allow the children access.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:15.51,0:01:19.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so she set about to make it so.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.32,0:01:23.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I'm the girl in that story, and the secret documents
Dialogue: 0,0:01:23.16,0:01:26.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I was interested in were located in this building,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.32,0:01:30.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the British Parliament, and the data that I wanted
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.68,0:01:33.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get my hands on were the expense receipts
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.34,0:01:37.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of members of Parliament.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.23,0:01:43.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought this was a basic question to ask in a democracy. (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:01:43.47,0:01:46.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It wasn't like I was asking for the code to a nuclear bunker,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.37,0:01:49.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or anything like that, but the amount of resistance I got
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.23,0:01:51.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from this Freedom of Information request,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.75,0:01:54.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you would have thought I'd asked something like this.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:54.99,0:01:59.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I fought for about five years doing this,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.22,0:02:02.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it was one of many hundreds of requests that I made,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.69,0:02:05.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not -- I didn't -- Hey, look, I didn't set out, honestly,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.64,0:02:07.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to revolutionize the British Parliament.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.29,0:02:10.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That was not my intention. I was just making these requests
Dialogue: 0,0:02:10.72,0:02:13.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,as part of research for my first book.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.88,0:02:16.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it ended up in this very long, protracted legal battle
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.74,0:02:21.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and there I was after five years fighting against Parliament
Dialogue: 0,0:02:21.12,0:02:24.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in front of three of Britain's most eminent High Court judges
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.16,0:02:28.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,waiting for their ruling about whether or not Parliament had to release this data.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:28.31,0:02:30.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I've got to tell you, I wasn't that hopeful,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:30.42,0:02:33.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because I'd seen the establishment. I thought,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.14,0:02:36.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it always sticks together. I am out of luck.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.50,0:02:41.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, guess what? I won. Hooray. (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.08,0:02:44.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, that's not exactly the story, because the problem was
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.50,0:02:47.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that Parliament delayed and delayed releasing that data,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.86,0:02:51.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then they tried to retrospectively change the law
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.02,0:02:53.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so that it would no longer apply to them.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:53.69,0:02:56.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The transparency law they'd passed earlier that applied to everybody else,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.61,0:02:59.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they tried to keep it so it didn't apply to them.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.41,0:03:02.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What they hadn't counted on was digitization,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:02.90,0:03:05.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because that meant that all those paper receipts
Dialogue: 0,0:03:05.29,0:03:08.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,had been scanned in electronically, and it was very easy
Dialogue: 0,0:03:08.53,0:03:11.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for somebody to just copy that entire database,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.73,0:03:15.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,put it on a disk, and then just saunter outside of Parliament,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:15.66,0:03:18.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which they did, and then they shopped that disk
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.15,0:03:21.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the highest bidder, which was the Daily Telegraph,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:21.11,0:03:24.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then, you all remember, there was weeks and weeks
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.31,0:03:27.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of revelations, everything from porn movies
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.34,0:03:30.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and bath plugs and new kitchens
Dialogue: 0,0:03:30.50,0:03:33.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and mortgages that had never been paid off.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.96,0:03:38.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The end result was six ministers resigned,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.64,0:03:42.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the first speaker of the house in 300 years was forced to resign,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:42.69,0:03:46.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a new government was elected on a mandate of transparency,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.71,0:03:50.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,120 MPs stepped down at that election,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:50.50,0:03:54.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and so far, four MPs and two lords
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.99,0:03:58.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have done jail time for fraud.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.02,0:04:04.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, thank you. (Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.40,0:04:08.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I tell you that story because it wasn't unique to Britain.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.67,0:04:12.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was an example of a culture clash that's happening
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.01,0:04:15.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all over the world between bewigged and bestockinged
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.33,0:04:19.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,officials who think that they can rule over us
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.44,0:04:21.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without very much prying from the public,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.34,0:04:23.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then suddenly confronted with a public
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.80,0:04:27.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who is no longer content with that arrangement,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:27.23,0:04:30.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and not only not content with it, now, more often,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.47,0:04:34.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,armed with official data itself.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.85,0:04:39.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So we are moving to this democratization of information,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.98,0:04:42.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and I've been in this field for quite a while.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.63,0:04:45.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Slightly embarrassing admission: Even when I was a kid,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:45.27,0:04:47.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I used to have these little spy books, and I would, like,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.21,0:04:49.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,see what everybody was doing in my neighborhood and log it down.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:49.83,0:04:52.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think that was a pretty good indication
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.04,0:04:55.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about my future career as an investigative journalist,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.12,0:04:59.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what I've seen from being in this access to information field for so long
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.64,0:05:02.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that it used to be quite a niche interest,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.42,0:05:05.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it's gone mainstream. Everybody, increasingly, around the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:05.57,0:05:08.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,wants to know about what people in power are doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.74,0:05:12.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They want a say in decisions that are made in their name
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.14,0:05:15.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and with their money. It's this democratization of information
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.17,0:05:17.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that I think is an information enlightenment,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.87,0:05:21.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it has many of the same principles of the first Enlightenment.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.34,0:05:24.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's about searching for the truth,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:24.33,0:05:28.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,not because somebody says it's true, "because I say so."
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.53,0:05:31.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No, it's about trying to find the truth based on
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.00,0:05:33.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what you can see and what can be tested.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.63,0:05:36.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That, in the first Enlightenment, led to questions about
Dialogue: 0,0:05:36.30,0:05:39.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the right of kings, the divine right of kings to rule over people,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:39.81,0:05:41.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or that women should be subordinate to men,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:41.98,0:05:44.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or that the Church was the official word of God.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:44.69,0:05:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Obviously the Church weren't very happy about this,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.12,0:05:49.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they tried to suppress it,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.22,0:05:52.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but what they hadn't counted on was technology,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.30,0:05:54.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then they had the printing press, which suddenly
Dialogue: 0,0:05:54.72,0:05:58.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,enabled these ideas to spread cheaply, far and fast,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.11,0:06:00.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and people would come together in coffee houses,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.95,0:06:03.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,discuss the ideas, plot revolution.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.77,0:06:08.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In our day, we have digitization. That strips all the physical mass out of information,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:08.36,0:06:11.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so now it's almost zero cost to copy and share information.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.76,0:06:16.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Our printing press is the Internet. Our coffee houses are social networks.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:16.00,0:06:21.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We're moving to what I would think of as a fully connected system,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:21.10,0:06:23.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we have global decisions to make in this system,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.98,0:06:27.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decisions about climate, about finance systems,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.66,0:06:31.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about resources. And think about it --
Dialogue: 0,0:06:31.00,0:06:33.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we want to make an important decision about buying a house,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.46,0:06:35.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we don't just go off. I mean, I don't know about you,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.98,0:06:39.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but I want to see a lot of houses before I put that much money into it.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.32,0:06:41.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if we're thinking about a finance system,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:41.68,0:06:45.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we need a lot of information to take in. It's just not possible
Dialogue: 0,0:06:45.32,0:06:49.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for one person to take in the amount, the volume
Dialogue: 0,0:06:49.28,0:06:53.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of information, and analyze it to make good decisions.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:53.05,0:06:56.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's why we're seeing increasingly this demand
Dialogue: 0,0:06:56.08,0:06:58.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for access to information.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:58.46,0:07:00.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That's why we're starting to see more disclosure laws
Dialogue: 0,0:07:00.77,0:07:02.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,come out, so for example, on the environment,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:02.74,0:07:04.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there's the Aarhus Convention,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:04.46,0:07:06.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is a European directive that gives people
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.49,0:07:09.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a very strong right to know, so if your water company
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.24,0:07:12.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is dumping water into your river, sewage water
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.61,0:07:15.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into your river, you have a right to know about it.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:15.66,0:07:19.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In the finance industry, you now have more of a right
Dialogue: 0,0:07:19.53,0:07:22.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to know about what's going on, so we have
Dialogue: 0,0:07:22.09,0:07:25.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,different anti-bribery laws, money regulations,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:25.04,0:07:29.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,increased corporate disclosure, so you can now track assets across borders.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:29.11,0:07:34.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it's getting harder to hide assets, tax avoidance,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.36,0:07:37.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pay inequality. So that's great. We're starting to find out
Dialogue: 0,0:07:37.49,0:07:40.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more and more about these systems.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:40.21,0:07:43.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And they're all moving to this central system,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:43.00,0:07:45.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this fully connected system,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:45.37,0:07:48.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of them except one. Can you guess which one?
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.58,0:07:51.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's the system which underpins all these other systems.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:51.25,0:07:55.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's the system by which we organize and exercise power,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.41,0:07:58.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and there I'm talking about politics, because in politics,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.34,0:08:02.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we're back to this system, this top-down hierarchy.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:02.46,0:08:05.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And how is it possible that the volume of information
Dialogue: 0,0:08:05.54,0:08:08.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can be processed that needs to in this system?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.36,0:08:10.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, it just can't. That's it.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.97,0:08:13.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I think this is largely what's behind the crisis
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.68,0:08:18.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of legitimacy in our different governments right now.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.00,0:08:20.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I've told you a bit about what I did
Dialogue: 0,0:08:20.18,0:08:22.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to try and drag Parliament, kicking and screaming,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:22.87,0:08:25.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into the 21st century, and I'm just going to give you
Dialogue: 0,0:08:25.38,0:08:28.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a couple of examples of what a few other people I know
Dialogue: 0,0:08:28.05,0:08:29.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are doing.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:29.27,0:08:32.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is a guy called Seb Bacon. He's a computer
Dialogue: 0,0:08:32.49,0:08:36.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,programmer, and he built a site called Alaveteli,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.44,0:08:41.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what it is, it's a Freedom of Information platform.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:41.22,0:08:44.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's open-source, with documentation, and it allows you
Dialogue: 0,0:08:44.19,0:08:47.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make a Freedom of Information request,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:47.29,0:08:50.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to ask your public body a question, so
Dialogue: 0,0:08:50.26,0:08:53.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it takes all the hassle out of it, and I can tell you
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.38,0:08:55.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that there is a lot of hassle making these requests,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:55.47,0:08:59.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so it takes all of that hassle out, and you just type in your question,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.01,0:09:03.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for example, how many police officers have a criminal record?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:03.48,0:09:07.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It zooms it off to the appropriate person, it tells you
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.33,0:09:10.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when the time limit is coming to an end, it keeps track of all
Dialogue: 0,0:09:10.81,0:09:12.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the correspondence, it posts it up there,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:12.47,0:09:16.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it becomes an archive of public knowledge.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:16.12,0:09:19.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that's open-source and it can be used in any country
Dialogue: 0,0:09:19.69,0:09:22.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where there is some kind of Freedom of Information law.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:22.60,0:09:25.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So there's a list there of the different countries that have it,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:25.82,0:09:27.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then there's a few more coming on board.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:27.61,0:09:30.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if any of you out there like the sound of that
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.17,0:09:32.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and have a law like that in your country,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:32.90,0:09:34.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I know that Seb would love to hear from you
Dialogue: 0,0:09:34.94,0:09:39.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about collaborating and getting that into your country.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:39.01,0:09:43.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is Birgitta Jónsdóttir. She's an Icelandic MP.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:43.31,0:09:47.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And quite an unusual MP. In Iceland, she was
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.14,0:09:50.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,one of the protesters who was outside of Parliament
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.46,0:09:54.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when the country's economy collapsed,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:54.21,0:09:58.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then she was elected on a reform mandate,
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.10,0:10:00.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and she's now spearheading this project.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.47,0:10:03.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's the Icelandic Modern Media Initiative,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:03.35,0:10:05.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they've just got funding to make it an international
Dialogue: 0,0:10:05.62,0:10:09.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,modern media project, and this is taking all of the best laws
Dialogue: 0,0:10:09.06,0:10:11.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,around the world about freedom of expression,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:11.99,0:10:14.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,protection of whistleblowers, protection from libel,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.79,0:10:19.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,source protection, and trying to make Iceland a publishing haven.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:19.26,0:10:21.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a place where your data can be free, so when we think
Dialogue: 0,0:10:21.68,0:10:25.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about, increasingly, how governments want to access user data,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:25.10,0:10:27.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what they're trying to do in Iceland is make this safe haven
Dialogue: 0,0:10:27.87,0:10:30.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where it can happen.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:30.61,0:10:33.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In my own field of investigative journalism, we're also
Dialogue: 0,0:10:33.75,0:10:36.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,having to start thinking globally, so this is a site called
Dialogue: 0,0:10:36.58,0:10:39.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Investigative Dashboard. And if you're trying to track
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.70,0:10:42.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a dictator's assets, for example, Hosni Mubarak,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.68,0:10:46.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, he's just funneling out cash from his country
Dialogue: 0,0:10:46.13,0:10:48.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when he knows he's in trouble, and what you want to do
Dialogue: 0,0:10:48.67,0:10:51.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to investigate that is, you need to have access to
Dialogue: 0,0:10:51.06,0:10:53.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of the world's, as many as you can,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:53.36,0:10:56.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,companies' house registrations databases.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:56.14,0:11:00.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this is a website that tries to agglomerate all of those
Dialogue: 0,0:11:00.58,0:11:03.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,databases into one place so you can start searching for,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:03.84,0:11:07.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you know, his relatives, his friends, the head of his security services.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:07.50,0:11:10.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can try and find out how he's moving out assets
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.26,0:11:12.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from that country.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.98,0:11:16.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But again, when it comes to the decisions which are
Dialogue: 0,0:11:16.62,0:11:19.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,impacting us the most, perhaps, the most important
Dialogue: 0,0:11:19.62,0:11:22.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decisions that are being made about war and so forth,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:22.90,0:11:25.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,again we can't just make a Freedom of Information request.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:25.83,0:11:28.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's really difficult. So we're still having to rely on
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.94,0:11:33.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,illegitimate ways of getting information, through leaks.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:33.02,0:11:36.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when the Guardian did this investigation about
Dialogue: 0,0:11:36.06,0:11:39.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Afghan War, you know, they can't walk into
Dialogue: 0,0:11:39.22,0:11:42.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Department of Defense and ask for all the information.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:42.68,0:11:44.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You know, they're just not going to get it.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:44.62,0:11:48.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this came from leaks of tens of thousands of dispatches
Dialogue: 0,0:11:48.16,0:11:50.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that were written by American soldiers
Dialogue: 0,0:11:50.57,0:11:53.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about the Afghan War, and leaked,
Dialogue: 0,0:11:53.13,0:11:56.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then they're able to do this investigation.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:56.78,0:12:02.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Another rather large investigation is around world diplomacy.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:02.34,0:12:04.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Again, this is all based around leaks,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:04.84,0:12:10.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,251,000 U.S. diplomatic cables, and I was involved
Dialogue: 0,0:12:10.10,0:12:14.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in this investigation because I got this leak
Dialogue: 0,0:12:14.04,0:12:17.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,through a leak from a disgruntled WikiLeaker
Dialogue: 0,0:12:17.41,0:12:20.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and ended up going to work at the Guardian.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:20.18,0:12:22.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I can tell you firsthand what it was like to have access
Dialogue: 0,0:12:22.60,0:12:24.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to this leak. It was amazing. I mean, it was amazing.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:24.57,0:12:28.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It reminded me of that scene in "The Wizard of Oz."
Dialogue: 0,0:12:28.22,0:12:30.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do you know the one I mean? Where the little dog Toto
Dialogue: 0,0:12:30.70,0:12:33.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,runs across to where the wizard [is], and he pulls back,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:33.56,0:12:35.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the dog's pulling back the curtain, and --
Dialogue: 0,0:12:35.02,0:12:39.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Don't look behind the screen. Don't look at the man behind the screen."
Dialogue: 0,0:12:39.00,0:12:41.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was just like that, because what you started to see
Dialogue: 0,0:12:41.14,0:12:44.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is that all of these grand statesmen, these very pompous
Dialogue: 0,0:12:44.09,0:12:47.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,politicians, they were just like us.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:47.18,0:12:49.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They all bitched about each other. I mean, quite gossipy,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:49.74,0:12:52.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,those cables. Okay, but I thought it was a very important
Dialogue: 0,0:12:52.42,0:12:55.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,point for all of us to grasp, these are human beings
Dialogue: 0,0:12:55.02,0:12:56.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just like us. They don't have special powers.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:56.97,0:13:00.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're not magic. They are not our parents.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:00.79,0:13:05.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Beyond that, what I found most fascinating
Dialogue: 0,0:13:05.64,0:13:08.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was the level of endemic corruption that I saw
Dialogue: 0,0:13:08.26,0:13:11.42,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,across all different countries, and particularly centered
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.42,0:13:14.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,around the heart of power, around public officials
Dialogue: 0,0:13:14.25,0:13:16.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who were embezzling the public's money
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.86,0:13:19.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for their own personal enrichment, and allowed to do that
Dialogue: 0,0:13:19.88,0:13:23.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of official secrecy.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:23.26,0:13:26.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So I've mentioned WikiLeaks, because surely what could be
Dialogue: 0,0:13:26.89,0:13:29.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,more open than publishing all the material?
Dialogue: 0,0:13:29.72,0:13:32.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because that is what Julian Assange did.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:32.79,0:13:35.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He wasn't content with the way the newspapers published it
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.36,0:13:39.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to be safe and legal. He threw it all out there.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:39.16,0:13:42.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That did end up with vulnerable people in Afghanistan
Dialogue: 0,0:13:42.87,0:13:46.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,being exposed. It also meant that the Belarussian dictator
Dialogue: 0,0:13:46.29,0:13:50.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was given a handy list of all the pro-democracy campaigners
Dialogue: 0,0:13:50.06,0:13:53.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in that country who had spoken to the U.S. government.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:53.54,0:13:58.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Is that radical openness? I say it's not, because for me,
Dialogue: 0,0:13:58.02,0:14:01.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what it means, it doesn't mean abdicating power,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:01.52,0:14:05.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,responsibility, accountability, it's actually being a partner
Dialogue: 0,0:14:05.27,0:14:08.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with power. It's about sharing responsibility,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:08.29,0:14:11.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sharing accountability. Also, the fact that
Dialogue: 0,0:14:11.20,0:14:13.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he threatened to sue me because I got a leak of his leaks,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:13.34,0:14:16.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I thought that showed a remarkable sort of inconsistency
Dialogue: 0,0:14:16.02,0:14:21.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in ideology, to be honest, as well. (Laughs)
Dialogue: 0,0:14:21.86,0:14:25.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The other thing is that power is incredibly seductive,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:25.20,0:14:27.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you must have two real qualities, I think,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:27.87,0:14:30.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,when you come to the table, when you're dealing
Dialogue: 0,0:14:30.28,0:14:32.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with power, talking about power,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:32.01,0:14:34.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because of its seductive capacity.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:34.39,0:14:37.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You've got to have skepticism and humility.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:37.40,0:14:39.100,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Skepticism, because you must always be challenging.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:39.100,0:14:43.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I want to see why do you -- you just say so? That's not good enough.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:43.03,0:14:45.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I want to see the evidence behind why that's so.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:45.74,0:14:50.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And humility because we are all human. We all make mistakes.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:50.24,0:14:53.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And if you don't have skepticism and humility,
Dialogue: 0,0:14:53.03,0:14:56.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,then it's a really short journey to go from reformer
Dialogue: 0,0:14:56.12,0:15:00.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to autocrat, and I think you only have to read "Animal Farm"
Dialogue: 0,0:15:00.73,0:15:06.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to get that message about how power corrupts people.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:06.68,0:15:12.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what is the solution? It is, I believe, to embody
Dialogue: 0,0:15:12.14,0:15:15.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,within the rule of law rights to information.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:15.61,0:15:18.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the moment our rights are incredibly weak.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:18.25,0:15:21.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In a lot of countries, we have Official Secrets Acts,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:21.23,0:15:23.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including in Britain here. We have an Official Secrets Act
Dialogue: 0,0:15:23.39,0:15:26.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with no public interest test. So that means it's a crime,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:26.51,0:15:30.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,people are punished, quite severely in a lot of cases,
Dialogue: 0,0:15:30.67,0:15:34.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,for publishing or giving away official information.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:34.88,0:15:38.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now wouldn't it be amazing, and really, this is what I want
Dialogue: 0,0:15:38.36,0:15:41.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,all of you to think about, if we had an Official Disclosure Act
Dialogue: 0,0:15:41.92,0:15:45.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where officials were punished if they were found
Dialogue: 0,0:15:45.29,0:15:48.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to have suppressed or hidden information
Dialogue: 0,0:15:48.25,0:15:50.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that was in the public interest?
Dialogue: 0,0:15:50.44,0:15:57.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So that -- yes. Yes! My power pose. (Applause) (Laughs)
Dialogue: 0,0:15:57.34,0:15:59.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I would like us to work towards that.
Dialogue: 0,0:15:59.88,0:16:03.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it's not all bad news. I mean, there definitely is
Dialogue: 0,0:16:03.80,0:16:06.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,progress on the line, but I think what we find is that
Dialogue: 0,0:16:06.76,0:16:09.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the closer that we get right into the heart of power,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:09.93,0:16:14.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the more opaque, closed it becomes.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:14.36,0:16:17.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it was only just the other week that I heard London's
Dialogue: 0,0:16:17.44,0:16:20.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Metropolitan Police Commissioner talking about why
Dialogue: 0,0:16:20.94,0:16:25.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the police need access to all of our communications,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:25.53,0:16:28.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,spying on us without any judicial oversight,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:28.59,0:16:30.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he said it was a matter of life and death.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:30.26,0:16:33.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He actually said that, it was a matter of life and death.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:33.50,0:16:37.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was no evidence. He presented no evidence of that.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:37.72,0:16:40.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It was just, "Because I say so.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:40.85,0:16:44.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You have to trust me. Take it on faith."
Dialogue: 0,0:16:44.10,0:16:46.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, I'm sorry, people, but we are back
Dialogue: 0,0:16:46.09,0:16:49.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to the pre-Enlightenment Church,
Dialogue: 0,0:16:49.80,0:16:53.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we need to fight against that.
Dialogue: 0,0:16:53.58,0:16:56.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So he was talking about the law in Britain which is
Dialogue: 0,0:16:56.86,0:17:01.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Communications Data Bill, an absolutely outrageous piece of legislation.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:01.09,0:17:04.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In America, you have the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:04.70,0:17:08.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You've got drones now being considered for domestic surveillance.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:08.34,0:17:11.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You have the National Security Agency building
Dialogue: 0,0:17:11.10,0:17:14.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world's giantest spy center. It's just this colossal --
Dialogue: 0,0:17:14.62,0:17:17.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it's five times bigger than the U.S. Capitol,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:17.10,0:17:18.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in which they're going to intercept and analyze
Dialogue: 0,0:17:18.90,0:17:21.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,communications, traffic and personal data
Dialogue: 0,0:17:21.85,0:17:25.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to try and figure out who's the troublemaker in society.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:25.16,0:17:29.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, to go back to our original story, the parents
Dialogue: 0,0:17:29.96,0:17:33.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,have panicked. They've locked all the doors.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:33.81,0:17:36.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They've kitted out the house with CCTV cameras.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:36.90,0:17:39.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They're watching all of us. They've dug a basement,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:39.65,0:17:42.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they've built a spy center to try and run algorithms
Dialogue: 0,0:17:42.31,0:17:44.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and figure out which ones of us are troublesome,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:44.98,0:17:49.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and if any of us complain about that, we're arrested for terrorism.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:49.22,0:17:52.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, is that a fairy tale or a living nightmare?
Dialogue: 0,0:17:52.79,0:17:56.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Some fairy tales have happy endings. Some don't.
Dialogue: 0,0:17:56.45,0:17:59.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think we've all read the Grimms' fairy tales, which are,
Dialogue: 0,0:17:59.20,0:18:01.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,indeed, very grim.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:01.70,0:18:06.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the world isn't a fairy tale, and it could be more brutal
Dialogue: 0,0:18:06.92,0:18:09.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than we want to acknowledge.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:09.72,0:18:12.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Equally, it could be better than we've been led to believe,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:12.01,0:18:15.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but either way, we have to start seeing it exactly as it is,
Dialogue: 0,0:18:15.72,0:18:19.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with all of its problems, because it's only by seeing it
Dialogue: 0,0:18:19.57,0:18:22.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,with all of its problems that we'll be able to fix them
Dialogue: 0,0:18:22.06,0:18:26.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and live in a world in which we can all be
Dialogue: 0,0:18:26.13,0:18:29.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,happily ever after. (Laughs) Thank you very much.
Dialogue: 0,0:18:29.82,0:18:33.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,(Applause)
Dialogue: 0,0:18:33.06,0:18:37.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Thank you. (Applause)