[126] Twitter subsequently suspended the Anonymous account from its service. [143], In 2015, an offshoot of Anonymous self-described as Ghost Security or GhostSec started targeting Islamic State-affiliated websites and social media handles. Anons responded with a wave of DDoS attacks on U.S. government and copyright organizations, shutting down the sites for the RIAA, MPAA, Broadcast Music, Inc., and the FBI. No consensus on Anonymous", "From Anonymous to shuttered websites, the evolution of online protest", "Anonymous: From the Lulz to Collective Action", "Hackers step up war on security services", "The 100 Most Influential People In The World", "Anonymous promises to uncover the truth behind 'QAnon' conspiracy theory", "What happened to Anonymous? [192] LulzSec stated that some of its hacks, including its attack on PBS, were motivated by a desire to defend WikiLeaks and its informant Chelsea Manning. Although he had no previous criminal record, Rice was fired from his job at Maryland’s MCI Systemhouse in June 1997 because he was extremely hostile at work. DNA results indicated that it did not match Rice or the victims. [127], It was reported on November 19, 2014, that Anonymous had declared cyber war on the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) the previous week, after the KKK had made death threats following the Ferguson riots. It is located around 75 miles from Washington DC and covers an area of 197,411 acres and includes mountain streams, more than 500 miles of hiking trails, and nearly 80,000 acres of designated wilderness. On June 14, 2011, LulzSec took down four websites by request of fans as part of their "Titanic Take-down Tuesday". He returned with his friends Caryl and Robert Ruckert on June 1. [94] During a live radio current affairs program in which Topiary debated church member Shirley Phelps-Roper, Anons hacked one of the organization's websites. Anonymous crashed Moore's servers and publicized much of his personal information online, including his social security number. Individuals claiming to align themselves with Anonymous undertook protests and other actions (including direct action) in retaliation against copyright-focused campaigns by motion picture and recording industry trade associations. "[136] On November 2, a list of 57 phone numbers and 23 email addresses (that allegedly belong to KKK members) was reportedly published and received media attention. [18] In October, some Anons attacked the website of the New York Stock Exchange while other Anons publicly opposed the action via Twitter. [212][213] Later data dumps included the names, addresses, phone numbers, Internet passwords, and Social Security numbers of police officers in Arizona,[214] Missouri,[215] and Alabama. Demonstrations were held in 400 cities around the world to coincide with Guy Fawkes Night. The Little Nyonya (Chinese: 小 娘惹) is a 2008 drama serial on Singapore's free-to-air MediaCorp TV Channel 8.It stars Jeanette Aw, Qi Yuwu, Pierre Png, Joanne Peh and Xiang Yun as the casts of the series. Gates also advocated for social distancing as a viable way to reduce the number of infections. [209][210], Beginning in June 2011, hackers from Anonymous and LulzSec collaborated on a series of cyber attacks known as "Operation AntiSec". pastebin.com/wbvP95wg With Love, Anonymous", "#OpSaudi : Anonymous launched cyber attack on Saudi Government site", "Meet The Mysterious New Hacker Army Freaking Out The Middle East", "Can Cyber Activists Chase ISIS off Twitter? Sam Esmail shared in an interview with Motherboard that he was inspired by Anonymous when creating the USA Network hacktivist drama, Mr. [16] A website associated with the group describes it as "an Internet gathering" with "a very loose and decentralized command structure that operates on ideas rather than directives". Another man, Richard Evonitz, has been considered a suspect in the Shenandoah National Park murders. Related groups LulzSec and Operation AntiSec carried out cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies, media, video game companies, military contractors, military personnel, and police officers, resulting in the attention of law enforcement to the groups' activities. After she graduated from high school, Lollie dropped out of college. Rice was in his late twenties at the time and living in Columbia, Maryland, single with no children. Anonymous originated in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan representing the concept of many online and offline community users simultaneously existing as an anarchic, digitized global brain. The privacy of the Ku Klux Klan no longer exists in cyberspace. Because they’re travelling in the same direction. [225] Anons generally protest these prosecutions and describe these individuals as martyrs to the movement. “We had special agents that are part of the National Park Service handling the investigation in conjunction with the FBI. [56], On February 10, thousands of Anonymous joined simultaneous protests at Church of Scientology facilities around the world. Julie and Lollie met at a charity in 1994 called Woodswomen in Minnesota. [92] Barr resigned as CEO before the end of the month. This is due to newswire licensing terms. [42] In response, Anonymous launched "Operation Save ED" to rescue and restore the site's content. [241][242], Evaluations of Anonymous' actions and effectiveness vary widely. [124][125] However, police said the identity released by Anonymous was incorrect. Timeline of events associated with Anonymous, Recording Industry Association of America, Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft, hundreds of thousands of leaked U.S. diplomatic cables, fatal police shooting of unarmed African-American Michael Brown, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Development, We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists, "Serious Business: Anonymous Takes On Scientology (and Doesn't Afraid of Anything)", "Freedom fighters or vandals? [177][third-party source needed], They further claimed to have evidence that the British royal family had Princess Diana murdered because she had incriminating evidence against the royal family's involvement in a sex-trafficking ring. Users of imageboards sometimes jokingly acted as if Anonymous was a single individual. [53][54], During the DDoS attacks, a group of Anons uploaded a YouTube video in which a robotic voice speaks on behalf of Anonymous, telling the "leaders of Scientology" that "For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind—for the laughs—we shall expel you from the Internet. He became extremely angry, threw a soda can at her, grabbed at her chest, and screamed, "Show me your titties." However, this account was disputed. [130], In January 2015, Anonymous released a video and a statement via Twitter condemning the attack on Charlie Hebdo, in which 12 people, including eight journalists, were fatally shot. [202], On June 26, 2011, the core LulzSec group announced it had reached the end of its "50 days of lulz" and was ceasing operations. The Park seemed like an ideal spot for a bicycling vacation for the two Canadians, and besides, they'd never heard of Julie Williams or Lollie Winans. The man got out and tried to wrestle her into his truck, but she threw her water bottle at him and used her bike as a blocking device. In its early form, the concept was adopted by a decentralized online community acting anonymously in a coordinated manner, usually toward a loosely self-agreed goal and primarily focused on entertainment (or lulz). [128], On November 24, 2014, Anonymous shut down the Cleveland city website and posted a video after Tamir Rice, a twelve-year-old boy armed only with a BB gun, was shot to death by a police officer in a Cleveland park. [170][171] According to Bloomberg, the video was initially posted on an unconfirmed Anonymous Facebook page on May 28. After that, the case fell apart, and on February 25, 2004, Judge Moon dismissed the charges against Darrell David Rice “without prejudice”, meaning he could still be charged at a later date. Experts say they're 'script kiddies who barely understand hacking, "The return of the Anonymous hacker collective", "What It's Like to Participate in Anonymous' Actions", "Community Organization with Digital Tools: The face of Anonymous", "Anonymous: behind the masks of the cyber insurgents", "Parmy Olson On Anonymous: 'A Growing Phenomenon That We Don't Yet Understand, "Julian Assange: The Internet threatens civilization", "In Flawed, Epic Anonymous Book, the Abyss Gazes Back", "The Assclown Offensive: How to Enrage the Church of Scientology", "Sympathy for the Griefer: MOOrape, Lulz Cubes, and Other Lessons From the First 2 Decades of Online Sociopathy", "Notorious NSFW website cleans up its act", "Archiving Internet Subculture: Encyclopedia Dramatica", "UK hacking suspect Ryan Cleary held after bail breach", "Cruise bio hits stores as video clip of actor praising Scientology makes it way to Internet", "Tom Cruise's Scary Movie; In Church Promo, the Scientologist Is Hard to Suppress", "Anonymous 101 Part Deux: Morals Triumph Over Lulz", "Online group declares war on Scientology", "Scientology faces wave of cyber attacks", "Queens Anonymous Member Gets a Letter from Scientologists", "Scientology site gets a facelift after protests", "Anger as police ban placards branding Scientology a cult", "Activists target recording industry websites", "RIAA Goes Offline, Joins MPAA As Latest Victim Of Successful DDoS Attacks", "Piracy threats lawyer mocks 4chan DDoS attack", "Operation Payback directs DDoS attack at AFACT", "Spanish entertainment industry feels wrath of Anonymous", "FBI probes 4chan's 'Anonymous' DDoS attacks", "4chan Users Organize Surgical Strike Against MPAA", "Anonymous hacktivists say Wikileaks war to continue", "WikiLeaks supporters disrupt Visa and MasterCard sites in 'Operation Payback, "Anonymous hackers plead guilty to 2010 PayPal cyberattack", "Anonymous vows to 'destroy' Westboro Baptist Church over Sandy Hook picket plans", "Uganda prime minister hacked 'over gay rights, "Sony caught up in cyber war with indignant hackers: ; Company with security once considered 'robust' now dealing with constant breaches", "BART website hacked, customer info leaked", "Hacker group Anonymous is a nuisance, not a threat", "Occupy movement takes over parts of London Stock Exchange", "93-Year-Old Australian Faces Pedophilia Charges in Thailand", "Anonymous Attacks Suspected Pedophiles Again", "Wis. truck driver given 2 years probation for cyberattack on Koch Industries | Wichita Eagle", "Anonymous hacks Chinese government sites in protest, some still compromised", "BBC News – Chinese websites 'defaced in Anonymous attack, "Anonymous hacks hundreds of Chinese government sites", "Anonymous Hunts Revenge Porn Purveyor Hunter Moore", "Anonymous Targets Israel by Taking Down Hundreds of Websites and Leaking Emails and Passwords", "Israel Says It Repelled Most Attacks on Its Web Sites by Pro-Palestinian Hackers", "Experts hope for another failure in next Anonymous attack", "Anonymous cyberattack on Israel finds disputed impact", "Protesters gather around the world for Million Mask March", "#OpSafeWinter: Anonymous fights homelessness worldwide", https://web.archive.org/web/20140110105231/http://opsafewinter.org/?p=140, "Forum Post: #Anon #OpSafeWinter Call to Action & New York #D26 Assembly - OccupyWallSt.org", https://web.archive.org/web/20140110085649/http://occupyweather.com/opsafewinter/, "Amid Ferguson protests, hacker collective Anonymous wages cyberwar", "How computer hackers changed the Ferguson protests", "Anonymous' "Op Ferguson" Says It Will ID the Officer Who Killed Michael Brown", "Obama Calls for Open Inquiry Into Police Shooting of Teenager in Ferguson, Mo", "Anonymous Releases Alleged Name Of Officer They Say Fatally Shot Michael Brown", "Ferguson police deny Anonymous' ID of alleged shooter", "Twitter suspends Anonymous account : News", "Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many Faces of Anonymous by Gabriella Coleman – review", "Grieving dad, Anonymous lash out at Cleveland cops following shooting death of boy, 12, armed with BB gun", "Anonymous begins looking into past of Timothy Loehmann, cop who fatally shot Tamir Rice", "Anonymous declares war over Charlie Hebdo attack", "Hackers Anonymous 'disable extremist website, "Anonymous hackers 'declare war' on jihadists after France attacks", "Government of Canada websites under attack, hacker groupAnonymous claims responsibility", "Anonymous intends to unveil names of up to 1,000 Ku Klux Klan members", "Anonymous Begins Revealing Information About Alleged Ku Klux Klan Members", "The Short List: Anonymous goes after KKK; VW in another emissions stink; 'Brangelina' open up", "#ICYMI #OpKKK was in no way involved with today's release of information that incorrectly outed several politicians", "This account has NOT YET released any information. The concept of the Anonymous entity advanced in 2004 when an administrator on the 4chan image board activated a "Forced_Anon" protocol that signed all posts as Anonymous. [169], In the wake of protests across the U.S following the killing of George Floyd, Anonymous released a video on Facebook as well as sending it out to the Minneapolis Police Department on May 28, 2020, titled "Anonymous Message To The Minneapolis Police Department", in which they state that they are going to seek revenge on the Minneapolis Police Department, and "expose their crimes to the world". "[147][148] ISIS responded on Telegram by calling them "idiots", and asking "What they gonna to [sic] hack? online hacking activity; and (3) a distinctive brand. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodswomen,_Inc. The document made no mention of the ban on his political rights for two years. Anons were early supporters of the global Occupy movement and the Arab Spring. Molly Wood of CNET wrote that "[i]f the SOPA/PIPA protests were the Web's moment of inspiring, non-violent, hand-holding civil disobedience, #OpMegaUpload feels like the unsettling wave of car-burning hooligans that sweep in and incite the riot portion of the play. The report called the group "hackers on steroids", "domestic terrorists", and an "Internet hate machine". According to the statements of U.S. officials, suspects' homes were raided and suspects were arrested in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington DC, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio. [citation needed] In August 2012, Anons hacked the site of Ugandan Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi in retaliation for the Parliament of Uganda's consideration of an anti-homosexuality law permitting capital punishment. [233], In September 2012, journalist and Anonymous associate Barrett Brown, known for speaking to media on behalf of the group, was arrested hours after posting a video that appeared to threaten FBI agents with physical violence. A period of infighting followed between the politically engaged members (called "moralfags" in the parlance of 4chan) and those seeking to provoke for entertainment (trolls). In attempt to eliminate child pornography from the internet, the group posted the emails and IP addresses of suspected pedophiles on the online forum PasteBin. [211] On June 22, LulzSec Brazil took down the websites of the Government of Brazil and the President of Brazil. In 1998, Rice pleaded guilty to the attempted abduction of Yvonne Malbasha. [13][14], Long-standing political question that has gone unanswered with often tragic consequences for social movements. On November 5, 2013, Anonymous protesters gathered around the world for the Million Mask March. [174] Later, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said that every computer in the region suffered a sophisticated attack. [49] 4chan users organized a raid against the Church in retaliation, prank-calling its hotline, sending black faxes designed to waste ink cartridges, and launching DDoS attacks against its websites. "Anonymous Targets Pedophiles Via #OpPedoChat Campaign". Sabu also used a Tunisian volunteer's computer to hack the website of Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, replacing it with a message from Anonymous. "[168], In February 2020, Anonymous hacked the United Nations' website and created a page for Taiwan, a country which has not had a seat at the UN since 1971. [90] The e-mails stated that Barr and HBGary had proposed to Bank of America a plan to discredit WikiLeaks in retaliation for a planned leak of Bank of America documents,[91] and the leak caused substantial public relations harm to the firm as well as leading one U.S. congressman to call for a congressional investigation. [153][154] The list included the Twitter accounts of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, The New York Times and BBC News. He had changed his clothes and reattached the license plates he'd removed while stalking Yvonne. [199] On June 13, LulzSec released the e-mails and passwords of a number of users of senate.gov, the website of the U.S. ", "Anonymous deals with its QAnon branding problem", "EXCLUSIVE: Why Anonymous 'hacked' the SABC, Gupta websites", "Anonymous creates pro-Taiwan page inside UN website", "Anonymous Message To The Minneapolis Police Department", "Anonymous Vows to 'Expose' Minneapolis Police, Site Attacked»", "George Floyd: Anonymous hackers re-emerge amid US unrest»", "Hacker Anonymous cita Bolsonaro e sugere investigação da relação do presidente com Trump", "5 vezes em que o mundo anônimo escolhe o mundo com invasões na internet»", "The Anonymous Minneapolis 'hack' comes from old breaches repackaged in misinformation", "Donald Trump & Jeffrey Epstein Rape Lawsuit and Affidavits", "Anonymous is Back With 'Proof' Against Trump, Epstein, Royal Family and the Internet is Here For It", "Princess Diana reportedly ordered to kill by royal family: Anonymous", "Anonymous Leaks Michael Jackson Was Murdered: Dieter Wiesner Call Recording", "Video insinúa que Kurt Cobain fue asesinado por saber sobre tráfico de menores", "Why Is Avicii Trending With Anonymous? In response, anti-Trump members of Anonymous warned that QAnon was stealing the collective's branding. [106], On January 19, 2012, the U.S. Department of Justice shut down the file-sharing site Megaupload on allegations of copyright infringement. Anonymous, issued an open letter to Gates. Using a SQL injection weakness, the four hacked the HBGary site, used Barr's captured password to vandalize his Twitter feed with racist messages, and released an enormous cache of HBGary's e-mails in a torrent file on Pirate Bay. They hacked the KKK's Twitter account, attacked servers hosting KKK sites, and started to release the personal details of members. [137] However, a tweet from the "@Operation_KKK" Twitter account the same day denied it had released that information[138][139][140] The group stated it planned to, and later did, reveal the names on November 5. The attacker was stopped within sight of the Swift Run Gap exit, which offered anonymity and escape. [33] As the popularity of imageboards increased, the idea of Anonymous as a collective of unnamed individuals became an Internet meme. [38] These raids resulted in the first mainstream press story on Anonymous, a report by Fox station KTTV in Los Angeles, California in the U.S. Contractor ManTech", "Vanguard Defense Industries compromised by AntiSec", "Military Meltdown Monday: 90,000 military email profiles released by AntiSec", "Inside the hacking of Stratfor: the FBI's case against Antisec member Anarchaos", "Security alert: notes from the frontline of the war in cyberspace", "Scots hacker admits breaking into the CIA", "Verona man admits role in attack on Church of Scientology's websites", "Turkey Arrests 32 'Anonymous' Members & Opinion", "Detienen en Turquía a 32 presuntos miembros de 'Anonymous' – Noticias de Europa – Mundo", "Alleged 'Commander X' Anonymous hacker pleads not guilty", "Anon on the run: How Commander X jumped bail and fled to Canada", "How Barrett Brown went from Anonymous's PR to federal target", "Anonymous attacks PayPal in 'Operation Avenge Assange, "UK police arrest WikiLeaks backers for cyber attacks", "Police arrest 'hackers' in US, UK, Netherlands", "Fourteen Anonymous Hackers Arrested For "Operation Avenge Assange," LulzSec Leader Claims He's Not Affected – Forbes", "16 Suspected 'Anonymous' Hackers Arrested In Nationwide Sweep", "Anonymous hackers jailed for cyber attacks", "UK cops: How we sniffed out convicted AnonOps admin 'Nerdo, "National Security Agency calls hacktivist group 'Anonymous' a threat to national security", "Anonymous shuts down hidden child abuse hub", "Anonymous goes nuclear; everybody loses? He was sentenced to 135 months in a Petersburg, Virginia federal penitentiary. [82] Anonymous also disrupted the sites for Visa and MasterCard on December 8. They weave vast fabrications as a form of performance. [134], Anonymous opposed Anti-Islamic Reclaim Australia rallies and described it as "an extreme right-wing group inciting religious hatred." Within a few days, these were supplanted by the Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC), a network stress-testing application allowing users to flood a server with TCP or UDP packets. "[248] The Oxford Internet Institute's Joss Wright wrote that "In one sense the actions of Anonymous are themselves, anonymously and unaccountably, censoring websites in response to positions with which they disagree."[249]. [102] In 2012, Anons leaked the names of users of a suspected child porn site in OpDarknetV2. In the wake of the fatal police shooting of unarmed African-American Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, "Operation Ferguson"—a hacktivist organization that claimed to be associated with Anonymous—organized cyberprotests against police, setting up a website and a Twitter account to do so.