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This is one of the least appropriate use of Betteridge's Law of Headlines.

The article starts with 'yes' and waters it down to 'maybe' and a real discussion could be had about whether or not the ends justifies the means, especially when it comes to criminal acts revealing dubious but legal acts.

Agreed on the appropriateness of using Betteridge's law. MR's headline could have instead been 'Was it RIGHT to hack and leak the Panama Papers?'

Betteridge's law is totally appropriate : His point was that people heading an article with a question intend to defend a position while not immediately associating with it.

And that's totally what this article does.

This article discusses both sides of the issue, doesn't come to a firm conclusion, and leads the reader to consider the question in their own mind.

IMO, this is one of the few articles where I believe that a rhetorical question as a title is appropriate.

No, it is entirely appropriate to invoke Betteridge to illustrate how TFA is contradicted by its own headline. This is a common use of Betteridge, and is indeed the only interesting way to use it.

My first thought as well.

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