They derailed a piracy network, supported the political revolutionaries in Tunisia and Egypt, voiced disapproval against anti-homosexual groups, and took down computer networks linked to the Ferguson, Missouri Police Department and Charlie Hebdo, the satirical French newspaper attacked last January.
Anonymous, a self-proclaimed “hacktivist” group, is now back and more vengeful than ever. Following the Friday the 13th Paris attacks, the group posted a video online pledging full fledged cyber warfare against “Daesh,” better known as ISIS.
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Keeping their word, the hack geniuses launched #OpParis and have taken down over 20,000 ISIS linked Twitter accounts since the video was released.
They may stand against the most highly documented crimes against humanity in recent history, but extensive documentation of the group itself remains under wraps. The organization is so well hidden that even its origin, an online forum called 4chan, consists of only anonymous users.
The network has no “central leadership” as explained by one of the many Anonymous-affiliated Twitter accounts. The only mask-less member in the media is Alex Poucher, who was arrested during protests against police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri on many accounts of resistance including refusal to disperse and unlawful assembly. Poucher continues to put a face to the name, as he spoke on behalf of the organization in a report by RT, praising Anonymous’s hacking capabilities in relation to ISIS.
In addition to wreaking virtual havoc against injustice, Anonymous acts as an investigative news outlet. Other than reporting on the legion’s latest activities, Anonhq.com publishes a variety of stories that are not typically heard in the mainstream news. In November, an article titled “5 Corporations Still Sucking California Dry” exposed the conglomerates that have contributed to the drought that has been facing the state for several years, but are seldom recognized in the press.
A nuisance to its victims and a mystery to the rest of us, Anonymous has made waves in a world of terror. Though their credibility in stopping ISIS operations is precarious, their model for approaching injustice is one to look up to. In the 21st century, ideologies of hatred are establishing platforms on social media, where they are safe, hidden behind a screen. Anonymous’s politically socialist headquarters, in which anyone is welcome to participate in their leaderless legion, promotes a necessary sense of unity in a time when all of humanity is being targeted. If we do not stand together, we have no chance in taking down forces that are tearing our world apart.
