whistleblower
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whistleblower
A person who exposes illegal, immoral, or unlawful practices within an organization (e.g., a company or public authority) and reports them to the public or to the responsible authorities.
Der Whistleblower informierte die Presse über den Datenskandal im Unternehmen.
The whistleblower informed the press about the data scandal at the company.
'Whistleblower' is a word that was adopted directly from English. It literally means 'Pfeifenbläser' (whistle blower) and figuratively refers to someone who raises the alarm by exposing wrongdoing.
Der Skandal wurde erst durch einen Whistleblower bekannt.
The scandal only became known because of a whistleblower.
The word 'Whistleblower' (whistleblower) is often used with verbs that describe exposing information, for example 'aufdecken' (to uncover), 'informieren' (to inform), 'melden' (to report), or 'weitergeben' (to pass on).
Ein Whistleblower hat die internen Dokumente an die Presse weitergegeben.
A whistleblower passed the internal documents on to the press.
The term is mainly used in the media and in legal and political discussions. It describes a person in the context of scandals or unlawful actions in organizations.
Die neue Gesetzgebung soll den Schutz für Whistleblower in der EU verbessern.
The new legislation is intended to improve protection for whistleblowers in the EU.
traitor
'der Verräter' and 'der Whistleblower' can both refer to a person who brings information from a group or organization to the outside. The difference lies in the evaluation and the reason. 'Verräter' sounds negative: the person breaks trust and acts disloyally. 'Whistleblower', by contrast, means someone who exposes illegal or wrong actions and reports them. This can be unpleasant for the organization, but it is often connected to a public interest. Learners may confuse the words because in both cases secrets become known. The important point is: 'Verräter' emphasizes harm and disloyalty, while 'Whistleblower' emphasizes exposing wrongdoing.
Der Whistleblower meldete der Behörde, dass die Firma falsche Zahlen veröffentlichte.
The whistleblower reported to the authorities that the company was publishing false figures.
Für die Gruppe war er ein Verräter, weil er den Plan an die Gegner weitergab.
To the group, he was a traitor because he passed the plan on to their opponents.