Whistleblower

Whistleblower

A whistleblower is an individual who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal, unethical, or not correct within an organization that is either private or public. The information of alleged wrongdoing can be classified in many ways: violation of company policy/rules, law, regulation, or threat to public interest/national security, as well as fraud, and corruption. Those who become whistleblowers can choose to bring information or allegations to surface either internally or externally.

Origins

The term whistleblowing is derived from the practice of British bobbies, or police officers, blowing their whistles whenever they noticed the commission of a crime. The phrase has since been adopted across various industries to refer to individuals who report misconduct or illegal activities.

Types of Whistleblowing

There are two types of whistleblowing: internal and external. Internal whistleblowing refers to when the whistleblower reports misconduct to another person within the organization. External whistleblowing refers to when the whistleblower reports misconduct to someone outside of the organization, such as the media, law enforcement, or a watchdog agency.

Legal Protections

Many jurisdictions have laws that protect whistleblowers from retaliation for reporting wrongdoing. For example, the Whistleblower Protection Act in the United States protects federal whistleblowers who work for the government and report agency misconduct.

Notable Whistleblowers

Some notable whistleblowers include Edward Snowden, who disclosed classified information from the National Security Agency, and Daniel Ellsberg, who released the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War.

See Also

• Whistleblower Protection Act
• Edward Snowden
• Daniel Ellsberg