That's what made it such an effective macguffin...the Internet DOESN'T work that way, SHOULDN'T work that way, and yet this plot device manages it. Who wouldn't kill for it? It's like finding someone who has discovered a loophole in the laws of thermodynamics.

Of course, in both cases, the secret would be impossible to keep for long, but the "killing for secrets" trade is all about moving the revelation date around by weeks or months in order to gain an advantage.