Behind the Hacks: The Origins of Anonymous | Cyberwar
VICE News・19 minutes read
Anonymous, led by hacker Jeremy Hammond, disrupts corporations and challenges governments, evolving from internet trolling on 4chan to political activism defending WikiLeaks and targeting government websites despite internal betrayals and FBI entrapment. Gabriella Coleman describes Anonymous as a protest movement that puts them on the world stage and FBI's radar, questioning the moral stance of law enforcement.
Insights
- Anonymous, a global hacking collective, originally emerged from internet trolling on 4chan and evolved into a protest movement challenging corporations and governments through cyber attacks and activism.
- The arrest of key members like Jeremy Hammond, orchestrated by an FBI informant named Sabu, raised concerns about the FBI's entrapment tactics and moral stance, highlighting the complex ethical dilemmas surrounding cybersecurity and activism in the digital age.
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Recent questions
What is Anonymous known for?
Hacking corporations and disrupting governments.
Who is Jeremy Hammond?
A legendary Anonymous hacker serving a prison sentence.
How did Anonymous start?
As a group of trolls on 4chan.
Who is Gabriella Coleman?
An anthropologist who studies Anonymous.
What impact did Sabu have on Anonymous?
Betrayal as an FBI informant leading to arrests.
Related videos
Summary
00:00
"Anonymous: Hackers, Activists, and Global Disruption"
- Anonymous hacked corporations and challenged governments, using any means necessary to disrupt and change the world.
- The narrator, Jeremy Hammond, was arrested at 16 years old after a series of arrests and an informant within Anonymous.
- Hammond, a legendary Anonymous hacker, is serving a 10-year prison sentence and communicates from a federal prison.
- Anonymous, a global force, is known for hacking corporations, stealing private information, and shutting down websites.
- Gabriella Coleman, an anthropologist, describes Anonymous as a protest movement that evolved from internet trolling.
- Anonymous started as a group of trolls on a web forum called 4chan, taking their name from the default ID "Anonymous."
- Anonymous targeted the Church of Scientology in a trolling campaign, leading to their first political activism.
- Anonymous defended WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, launching a massive campaign against Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal.
- Anonymous's operations, like Operation Payback, put them on the world stage and on the FBI's radar.
- Several members of Anonymous, including Hammond, were arrested in 2011 and 2012 due to the actions of an informant named Sabu.
16:52
Sabu's Betrayal: FBI Informant in Anonymous
- Sabu, a former member of Anonymous, turned informant for the FBI, leading to the arrest of several activists and the leaking of Stratfor's emails to WikiLeaks.
- The FBI's focus on entrapment rather than crime prevention allowed the hacking of Stratfor to occur, raising questions about their moral stance.
- Despite internal trust issues within Anonymous due to Sabu's betrayal, the group continues its actions globally, particularly targeting government websites in protest against legislation like Canada's c-51 bill.
