whistleblowing
Reporting organizational wrongdoing
Whistleblowing is reporting wrongdoing within an organization to authorities or the public.
A whistleblower exposes fraud, corruption, safety violations, or illegal activity—often at personal risk.
The term evokes a referee's whistle stopping play when rules are broken.
The company retaliated against her for whistleblowing.
Laws in many jurisdictions protect whistleblowers from dismissal or harassment.
Act of revealing information
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- leakEscape through a breach
- tipoffAdvance notice of something
- uncoveringRevealing something hidden
reporting · exposé · outing · unmasking · divulgence · alerting · surfacing · truth-telling
Systematic observation of subjects
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- classifiedRestricted from disclosure
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
- state secretsProtected government information
espionage · treason · diplomacy · military · defense · agency · CIA · NSA
Guarding against harm
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- lawsuitCivil court proceeding
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
evidence · subpoena · deposition · immunity · prosecution · indictment · compliance · hotline
NSA contractor turned fugitive
- FeltPast tense of feel
- informantOne who provides intelligence
- sourcePoint of origin
- insiderOne with confidential access
Serpico · leaker · tipster · witness · accuser · truth-teller · dissident · muckraker
Formal accounts examination
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- ethics hotlineChannel for reporting wrongdoing
- ombudsmanPublic complaints investigator
- HREmployee management department
misconduct · embezzlement · accounting fraud · Enron · shareholder · board · executive · management
Unknown identity state
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- safeguardsMeasures preventing harm
- immunityProtected from harm
- asylumShelter from persecution
witness protection · secure channels · encrypted · confidentiality · non-disclosure · employment law · reinstatement · compensation
disclosure
Act of revealing information
- revelationSurprising disclosed truth
- leakEscape through a breach
- tipoffAdvance notice of something
uncovering · reporting · exposé · outing · unmasking · divulgence · alerting · surfacing · truth-telling
surveillance
Systematic observation of subjects
- intelligenceMental ability, cognitive capacity
- classifiedRestricted from disclosure
- national securitySafeguarding a country's interests
state secrets · espionage · treason · diplomacy · military · defense · agency · CIA · NSA · FBI
protection
Guarding against harm
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- lawsuitCivil court proceeding
- settlementResolved dispute or colony
testimony · evidence · subpoena · deposition · immunity · prosecution · indictment · compliance · hotline · ombudsman
Snowden
NSA contractor turned fugitive
Serpico · insider · leaker · tipster · witness · accuser · truth-teller · dissident · muckraker · deep-throat
audit
Formal accounts examination
- complianceAdhering to requirements
- ethics hotlineChannel for reporting wrongdoing
- ombudsmanPublic complaints investigator
HR · misconduct · embezzlement · accounting fraud · Enron · shareholder · board · executive · management · cover-up
anonymity
Unknown identity state
- retaliationPunitive response to injury
- safeguardsMeasures preventing harm
- immunityProtected from harm
asylum · witness protection · secure channels · encrypted · confidentiality · non-disclosure · employment law · reinstatement · compensation · harassment
- tech ethicsAI ethics, AI bias, data privacy, deepfakes, digital rights
- public administrationadministrative law, government agencies, ministries, local government, county government
- employmentjob, jobs, career, careers, interview
- accusationsaccusation, accuse, accuser, allegation, allege
- advocacypetition, advocating, protest sign, championing, picket sign
- disclosurerevealing, disclosing, disclosure, disclose, divulge
whistleblowingcover-up
Hiding wrongdoing from public
concealment · suppression · secrecy · stonewalling · keeping quiet
whistleblowingcomplicity
Shared criminal involvement
collusion · enabling · turning a blind eye · looking the other way · code of silence
whistleblowingobstruction
Something blocking the way
whitewashing · damage control · spin · retaliation · silencing
- whistleblowing policiesRules protecting misconduct reporters
whistle, piping, whistling, whistles, whistled, exposing, whistler, whistleblower, whistleblowers