FRONTLINE and @WashingtonPost investigate how a young Air National Guardsman, Jack Teixeira, allegedly leaked classified documents on the Discord chat platform for over a year — and why he wasn’t stopped earlier.

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It was one of the biggest leaks of government secrets in U.S. history: more than 300 pages that included highly classified information from secret Pentagon assessments of the war in Ukraine, to revelations about Iran’s nuclear program, Chinese aircraft carriers and the killing of ISIS terrorists.

The leaked documents, which came to light in April 2023, were posted on the gaming and chat platform Discord, allegedly by 21-year-old Jack Teixeira, who had managed to get a security clearance despite a troubled past. What was his motivation? Why didn’t the military stop him? And what was the role of Discord, a privacy-oriented platform popular with teenage gamers?

FRONTLINE and The Washington Post investigate those questions in “The Discord Leaks.” From an award-winning team that includes FRONTLINE directors Thomas Jennings and Annie Wong and Post reporters Shane Harris, Samuel Oakford and Chris Dehghanpoor, the documentary draws on months of groundbreaking reporting by The Post, including access to hundreds of the leaked documents its reporters obtained. The documentary includes new collaborative reporting with FRONTLINE revealing in greater detail Texeira’s online world, and his history of violent threats, racism and conspiracy theories. The documentary also features exclusive on-camera interviews with the alleged leaker’s close online confidantes, Discord’s VP of trust and safety and a former head of the Air National Guard.

The FRONTLINE-Washington Post investigation raises tough questions about how the military’s vetting process addresses applicants’ internet activity, how Discord polices hate speech on its platform, and why the alleged leaker — who has pleaded not guilty — wasn’t stopped sooner despite multiple red flags.

To illustrate the extent of the leaked material, FRONTLINE and The Washington Post used images of classified documents in this film that had been previously released in news reports, on social media and elsewhere on the internet.

“The Discord Leaks” is a FRONTLINE production with 2over10 Media in association with The Washington Post. The producers and directors are Thomas Jennings and Annie Wong. The writer is Thomas Jennings. The Washington Post reporters are Shane Harris, Samuel Oakford and Chris Dehghanpoor. The senior producers are Dan Edge and Frank Koughan. The executive editor of The Washington Post is Sally Buzbee. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.

Explore additional reporting on “The Discord Leaks” on our website and at washingtonpost.com:
https://to.pbs.org/3TlkJkg

#Documentary #DiscordLeaks #NationalSecurity

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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and airs nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.

CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Prologue
1:11 – Washington Post Reporters Investigate the Discord Leaks
05:51– Alleged Discord Leaker Jack Teixeira’s Online World & a Police Report of Past Threats
13:36 – The Discord Chat Platform’s Rise and Its Approach to Privacy, Extremism
16:28 – Jack Teixeira’s Friends from Discord Server Describe Violent, Racist Content
23:53 – Jack Teixeira Gets Security Clearance & Enters Air National Guard Despite Troubled Past
32:13 – Jack Teixeira Becomes Administrator of Discord Server with Racist, Antisemitic, Conspiratorial Content
35:53 – In 2022, Jack Teixeira Allegedly Begins Sharing Classified Information on Discord
41:03 – Air Force Memos Show Jack Teixeira Was Warned About Looking at Certain Classified Information
42:58 – Jack Teixeira Changes His Approach to Allegedly Sharing Classified Information on Discord
45:46 – In April 2023, News Breaks About Search for Leaker of Secret Ukraine War Documents
49:55 – Federal Agents Take Alleged Discord Leaker Jack Teixeira Into Custody
51:59 – Credits