Back in Elizabethan times “to whistle” or
“to blow” was to reveal secret information. During the twentieth
century, “to blow the whistle” and “whistleblower” referred to
people blowing whistles, or people attempting to stop illegal or
immoral activity by causing a disturbance. Law enforcement
officials, such as police in the United Kingdom used whistles to
alert the public or fellow police of a crime.
A whistleblower is
someone who exposes information about wrongdoings that companies
or organizations do not want to share, usually about illegal or
unethical actions or wrongdoings within a public or private
organization. Whistleblowers disclose the wrongdoing without
approval, to the public, a higher authority, or law enforcement.
They could expose illegal actions affecting public safety,
violations of company rules or policies, or fraud, among others.
Incidentally, the
main difference between leakers and whistleblowers is that
whistleblowers release information that shows wrongdoing. They
have a right and responsibility to report this information.
Leakers release sensitive or classified information unlawfully
and possibly for their own personal or political agenda, not
necessarily for public good or policy.