WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to speak to SXSW

This film publicity image released by Focus World shows Julian Assange in a scene from the documentary, "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks." (AP Photo/Focus World) This film publicity image released by Focus World shows Julian Assange in a scene from the documentary, "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks." (AP Photo/Focus World) Photo: Associated Press Photo: Associated Press Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to speak to SXSW 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

SAN ANTONIO — Controversial journalist Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, will speak to the Austin tech, film and music conference South By Southwest (SXSW) in March via video link.

Assange, an anti-censorship activist, will take part in a rare public interview to discuss the National Security Agency's widespread surveillance, the digital age and the future of democracy, according to a Tuesday release from SXSW.

Assange, who gained notoriety in Australia in the early 1990's as a computer hacker, established WikiLeaks in 2006 as a platform for whistleblowers to share information anonymously.

The organization has received praise and sharp criticism for publishing confidential military information including a video of a U.S. Apache helicopter firing and killing Reuters journalists and others in an Afghanistan town square.

The group has also published hundred of thousands of communications between embassies around the world discussing sensitive information.

Assange has been pursued by countries in Europe for his work at WikiLeaks and an alleged sexual assault case. He has been living at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London under political asylum since 2012.

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