WikiLeaks publishes massive trove of CIA spying files in 'Vault 7' release

Julian Assange claims that documents are the most comprehensive CIA release ever and are far larger than the Snowden files

• Andrew Griffin 
• @_andrew_griffin 
• 3 hours ago
• 239 comments

A janitor mops the floor at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency 03 March, 2005 in Langley, Virginia BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Image 

"In a statement to WikiLeaks the source details policy questions that they say urgently need to be debated in public, including whether the CIA's hacking capabilities exceed its mandated powers and the problem of public oversight of the agency," a release read. "The source wishes to initiate a public debate about the security, creation, use, proliferation and democratic control of cyberweapons."

It also redacts the details of some of the names, locations and targets that are identified in the documents. 

The organisation had teased the release in advance with strange messages about the release being "Year Zero", and references to "Vault 7". It had planned to release the files later on but that plan was thrown off when its press conference came under cyber attack, Mr Assange claimed.