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Comment by baybal2 | Hacker News Reader

> The current data leak is a bunch of unprocessed files and emails that would be irresponsible to leak as it could contain private information such as passport scans of no public utility.

It will be very responsible to do so to people who have absolutely no reason to hide their wealth, especially in countries without public security problems. It is very morally correct too.

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Unless, of course, the personal information isn't from a guilty party; it's possible the banks had innocent clients.

Even if it's morally correct, that doesn't make it legal

Do morally correct things. The morality is inescapable.

Does that imply ICIJ is acting illegally?

If you steal the Coca Cola recipe and release it, don't you think you'd be acting illegally? These documents were stolen from law firms, trust managers and accounting firms.

Aside from the fact that many of these structures are not illegal, and are often declared to local tax authorities of the resident, these are private matters. Plenty of money is laundered through onshore jurisdictions as well -- this has nothing to do with the entities itself.

If you steal anything you are acting illegally. If OTOH you obtain the secret recipe legally, and release that, there's no crime or tortious act.

> These documents were stolen

We don't actually know how they were obtained. But given that they were obtained at all, I'd say that the custodian of that data was the principal guilty party.

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