They've been labelled the WikiLeaks hackers. A group of activists who've attacked the websites of companies they accuse of colluding with governments to censor WikiLeaks. Now members of "Anonymous" are coming onto World Have Your Say to take your questions, after so many of you got in touch asking to speak with them. On Friday's show we'll be live at the house of one member, Hamster.
Last week the group took down various websites including VISA, Mastercard and Paypal after these corporations stopped processing payments to WikiLeaks. The Swedish government's page was also offline for eleven hours on Tuesday night. It's been reported today Anonymous are also using posters and bombarding fax machines to continue their campaign.
Here's what they say on their site:
We are your brothers and sisters, your parents and children, your superiors and your underlings. We are the concerned citizens standing next to you. Anonymous is everywhere, yet nowhere...We are Anonymous. You can be Anonymous, too. Together, we can shape society. According to their site, they also oppose the Church of Scientology and were involved in catching a Canadian paedophile.
The Guardian newspaper says Police in the UK are launching an investigation into the online attacks.
Unsurprisingly, there's a huge online buzz about Anonymous. Greek blogger Deathwing000 charted Operation Payback and says:
It's expected that both MasterCard and Visa change their minds and start fighting the government of the USA instead of blocking the defenders of freedom and truth. Other internet users have suggested the group could be a victim of it's own success and ask- what happens if WikiLeaks exposes Anonymous?
Zen writes:
Supporters of Assange are naive, they are either ignorantly unaware that they are stabbing their own freedom in the heart or they are simply paid agents of the enemies of the USA such as Iran, North Korea, China, Russia and the Jihadists. Do you see Anonymous as a group fighting for truth and free speech? Or a minority of troublemakers inconveniencing millions of people around the world by targeting these companies? Post your questions for Hamster here.
Your comments
Comment sent via Facebook
18:49
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Lauren Boland posts: I'd like to ask Hamster if Operation Payback has achieved anything toward their goals. Did PayPal etc. become willing to process donations to Aussange's defense again? How to you account for the possibility that your attacks are cementing their position against helping Assange? What were you hoping the attacks would achieve--publicity or something more?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:38
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Fleur Lys Sego Interesting stuff. My question is, do your (Anonymous) activities stem from a genuine desire to expose institutional corruption or from the satisfaction of within hacking?
Comment sent via Facebook
18:32
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Varun Datta writes: I am from Hong Kong, China. I thing you are doing a great job Hamster and do you think Julian Assange thinks you are doing a great job and helping him in any way?
Comment sent via Facebook
17:48
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George in Kenya: Sometimes the end justifies the means. no one in the grass roots has the might money or muscle to take on the goliath of mega government. only modern zealots such as the computer hackers have the technical prowess to do so.
Comment sent via BLOG
18:17
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Dwight in Cleveland posts: Hamster, Do you feel there should be no secrets? OR are you just opposed to the hypocritical positions that have lead to the justification of things such as wars and environmental hazards? Would you support the outing of a CIA agent? OR just the outing of a public official saying that they are 100% certain of something in public and not very certain of a threat behind close doors?
Comment sent via BLOG
18:19
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Skrmetti: How can you preach justice and transparency when you are both breaking the law and hiding your actions and who you are?
Comment sent via BLOG
18:15
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Mercurial posts: Anonymous is, at it's core, self destructive because of its extraordinarily narrow view of the world. Instead of treasuring and guiding that world that gave them computers, they seek to destroy and tear down. It is not even "unfortunate fall-out" that causes harm to themselves and others, it is their very intentional acts. what really makes me laugh is, they do not understand the scope of the harm they seek to cause. Children behave as they do because of their lack of understanding of consequences.
Comment sent via BLOG
18:01
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Ipsedixie posts: I work on the technical side for one of the largest US banks and I can tell you that the distributed denial of service against VISA and MasterCard's front doors did not impact business on the back end at all. People were still able to shop and spend like normal. So, as far as I am concerned, it was a showy action that accomplished little except for a lot of tut-tutting in the news media.
Comment sent via Facebook
17:50
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Park posts:Anonymous do good work. I want know why Anonymous do not use the same vicious methods against Scientology. They deserve more than the corporation who are simply political pawns.
Your questions to "Anonymous"
| Friday, 12 Dec. 2010 | 17:37 - 19:00 GMT
They've been labelled the WikiLeaks hackers. A group of activists who've attacked the websites of companies they accuse of colluding with governments to censor WikiLeaks. Now members of "Anonymous" are coming onto World Have Your Say to take your questions, after so many of you got in touch asking to speak with them. On Friday's show we'll be live at the house of one member, Hamster.
Last week the group took down various websites including VISA, Mastercard and Paypal after these corporations stopped processing payments to WikiLeaks. The Swedish government's page was also offline for eleven hours on Tuesday night. It's been reported today Anonymous are also using posters and bombarding fax machines to continue their campaign.
Here's what they say on their site:
We are your brothers and sisters, your parents and children, your superiors and your underlings. We are the concerned citizens standing next to you. Anonymous is everywhere, yet nowhere...We are Anonymous. You can be Anonymous, too. Together, we can shape society.
According to their site, they also oppose the Church of Scientology and were involved in catching a Canadian paedophile.
The Guardian newspaper says Police in the UK are launching an investigation into the online attacks.
Unsurprisingly, there's a huge online buzz about Anonymous. Greek blogger Deathwing000 charted Operation Payback and says:
It's expected that both MasterCard and Visa change their minds and start fighting the government of the USA instead of blocking the defenders of freedom and truth.
Other internet users have suggested the group could be a victim of it's own success and ask- what happens if WikiLeaks exposes Anonymous?
Zen writes:
Supporters of Assange are naive, they are either ignorantly unaware that they are stabbing their own freedom in the heart or they are simply paid agents of the enemies of the USA such as Iran, North Korea, China, Russia and the Jihadists.
Do you see Anonymous as a group fighting for truth and free speech? Or a minority of troublemakers inconveniencing millions of people around the world by targeting these companies? Post your questions for Hamster here.
Your comments
Comment sent via Facebook
Lauren Boland posts: I'd like to ask Hamster if Operation Payback has achieved anything toward their goals. Did PayPal etc. become willing to process donations to Aussange's defense again? How to you account for the possibility that your attacks are cementing their position against helping Assange? What were you hoping the attacks would achieve--publicity or something more?
Comment sent via Facebook
Fleur Lys Sego Interesting stuff. My question is, do your (Anonymous) activities stem from a genuine desire to expose institutional corruption or from the satisfaction of within hacking?
Comment sent via Facebook
Varun Datta writes: I am from Hong Kong, China. I thing you are doing a great job Hamster and do you think Julian Assange thinks you are doing a great job and helping him in any way?
Comment sent via Facebook
George in Kenya: Sometimes the end justifies the means. no one in the grass roots has the might money or muscle to take on the goliath of mega government. only modern zealots such as the computer hackers have the technical prowess to do so.
Comment sent via BLOG
Dwight in Cleveland posts: Hamster, Do you feel there should be no secrets? OR are you just opposed to the hypocritical positions that have lead to the justification of things such as wars and environmental hazards? Would you support the outing of a CIA agent? OR just the outing of a public official saying that they are 100% certain of something in public and not very certain of a threat behind close doors?
Comment sent via BLOG
Skrmetti: How can you preach justice and transparency when you are both breaking the law and hiding your actions and who you are?
Comment sent via BLOG
Mercurial posts: Anonymous is, at it's core, self destructive because of its extraordinarily narrow view of the world. Instead of treasuring and guiding that world that gave them computers, they seek to destroy and tear down. It is not even "unfortunate fall-out" that causes harm to themselves and others, it is their very intentional acts. what really makes me laugh is, they do not understand the scope of the harm they seek to cause. Children behave as they do because of their lack of understanding of consequences.
Comment sent via BLOG
Ipsedixie posts: I work on the technical side for one of the largest US banks and I can tell you that the distributed denial of service against VISA and MasterCard's front doors did not impact business on the back end at all. People were still able to shop and spend like normal. So, as far as I am concerned, it was a showy action that accomplished little except for a lot of tut-tutting in the news media.
Comment sent via Facebook
Park posts:Anonymous do good work. I want know why Anonymous do not use the same vicious methods against Scientology. They deserve more than the corporation who are simply political pawns.