From my understanding, part of the requirement in Assange's defense against the extradition treaty (which the US and Equador swore wasn't going to happen) is th

From my understanding, part of the requirement in Assange's defense against the extradition treaty (which the US and Equador swore wasn't going to happen) is that he must prove he was acting as a journalist. And yes, this entire situation is definitely meant to create a chilling effect among whistleblowers, and simultaneously cement in the public mind that if data is protected/encrypted, you're not ethically allowed as a vigilante to use digital forensics against it in order to expose horrendous crimes committed in the name of the government. Even though government digital forensics against a foreign political adversary is why they have these chat logs of Assange in the first place. It's about creating an uneven playing field.