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[ BIRDS CHIRPING ]
>> IT WAS 6:00 IN THE MORNING.
I GOT A KNOCK ON MY DOOR -- A
REALLY LOUD KNOCK -- AND I
THOUGHT IT WAS MY DAD, WHO HAD
LOCKED HIMSELF OUT OR SOMETHING.
SO I OPENED IT, AND IT'S THE
L.E.D. FLASHLIGHTS AND THE
REALLY OBNOXIOUS BULLET-PROOF
VEST AND THE DRAGGING ME OUT
INTO THE COLD WHEN I'M IN MY
PAJAMAS.
THAT WAS NOT FUN.
THEY SEEMED PRETTY SHOCKED BY
THE SARCASTIC, BELLIGERENT,
ANGRY TEENAGER THAT THEY DRAGGED
OUT OF BED THAT DAY.
[ LAUGHS ]
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S JUST THAT I
WAS 19 OR THAT I WAS A GIRL, BUT
THEY DIDN'T EXPECT...THIS.
10,000 ANGRY KIDS -- WHOEVER
THEY ARE, THEY SCARED THE SHIT
OUT OF SOME PEOPLE THOSE DAYS.
THEY SCARED THE SHIT OUT OF THE
POWERS THAT BE, AND THAT'S WHY
THIS IS BEING INVESTIGATED.
THAT'S WHY I'M UNDER
INDICTMENT.
THAT'S IT, BECAUSE BETWEEN THE
DAYS OF DECEMBER 6th AND
DECEMBER 10th, 10,000 ANGRY
PEOPLE PROVED TO THE GOVERNMENT
THAT THEIR REGULATIONS, THEIR
IDEAS, THEIR VIEW OF PayPal,
THEIR VIEW OF WikiLeaks, THEIR
VIEW OF THE AFGHAN WAR, AND
EGYPT AND TUNISIA AND LIBYA --
IT DIDN'T...MATTER.
THEIR OPINION NO LONGER MATTERED
BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS OUT ON THE
INTERNET KICKING ASS.
>> THE COMPUTER HACKER GROUP
ANONYMOUS IS CLAIMING TONIGHT
THAT IT TOOK DOWN THE WEBSITE OF
THE FEDERAL APPEALS COURT IN
SAN FRANCISCO THIS AFTERNOON.
>> THEY TOOK DOWN senate.gov
SERVERS, THEY'VE TAKEN DOWN
HBGary, SONY'S CLAIMING THEY DID
$150 MILLION WORTH OF DAMAGE.
>> SO MANY CONFIDENTIAL FILES
THAT TONIGHT, BECAUSE OF THESE
HACKERS, CAN BE IN THE HANDS OF
ANYONE.
>> VISA, MasterCard, THE PayPal
SITUATION.
>> THE CRIMINALS WHO HACKED INTO
SARAH PALIN'S PRIVATE E-MAIL.
>> THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
SAYS ANONYMOUS IS A
CYBER-TERRORIST GROUP OF
RELIGIOUS BIGOTS.
>> ANONYMOUS AND THIS OTHER
GROUP CALLED LulzSec -- THEY
SEEM TO BE WANTING TO PROVE A
POINT.
>> ANONYMOUS KIND OF WAS LIKE
THE BIG, STRONG, BUFF KID WHO
HAD LOW SELF-ESTEEM, AND THEN
ALL OF A SUDDEN, PUNCHED
SOMEBODY IN THE FACE AND WAS
LIKE, "HOLY SHIT, I'M REALLY
STRONG!"
AND ANONYMOUS CALLS ITSELF "THE
FINAL BOSS OF THE INTERNET," AND
SOMETIMES IF PROVES TO BE
REALLY FUCKING TRUE.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO VIOLATE THE
FREEDOMS OF THE INTERNET, YOU
CERTAINLY BETTER WATCH THE FUCK
OUT.
>> THEY ARE KIND OF THE RUDE
BOYS OF ACTIVISM.
THERE'S A REAL ROUGH EDGE TO
THEM, WHICH I THINK ALSO IS ONE
REASON WHY THEY GARNER SO MUCH
LOVE AND HATE FROM PEOPLE, TOO.
THEY REPRESENT A CERTAIN SORT OF
CHAOTIC FREEDOM.
>> INDIVIDUAL, YOUNG, NAMELESS,
FACELESS FOLKS ARE HAVING
GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT.
I MEAN, IT'S BOTH EXHILARATING
TO REALIZE THAT AND TERRIFYING
TO REALIZE THAT.
IT KIND OF DEPENDS ON HOW THAT
POWER IS WIELDED.
>> [ Amplified ] WE ARE LEGION.
WE DO NOT FORGET.
EXPECT US.
>> WE STAND FOR FREEDOM.
WE STAND FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH,
THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE, THE
ABILITY FOR THEM TO PROTEST
AGAINST THEIR GOVERNMENT, TO
RIGHT WRONGS.
NO CENSORSHIP, ESPECIALLY ONLINE
BUT ALSO IN REAL LIFE.
>> WE HAVE MEMBERS THROUGHOUT
SOCIETY, IN ALL STRATAS OF IT
WORLDWIDE.
YEAH, WE HAVE NO LEADERSHIP.
>> IT'S ONE VOICE -- IT'S NOT
INDIVIDUAL VOICES.
THAT'S WHY WE DON'T SHOW OUR
FACES, THAT'S WHY WE DON'T GIVE
OUR NAMES.
WE'RE SPEAKING AS ONE.
IT'S A COLLECTIVE.
GOOD TIMING.
[ POLICE RADIO CHATTER ]
>> I GOT CALLED A TERRORIST
SYMPATHIZER.
WE'VE BEEN CALLED KIDS, WE'VE
BEEN CALLED CYBER-BULLIES, WE'VE
BEEN CALLED HOOLIGANS, AND, YOU
KNOW, SOMETIMES THOSE WORDS
AREN'T ENTIRELY UNFAIR, BUT THIS
IS A SERIOUS POLITICAL MOVEMENT.
>> NO ONE IN THE GENERAL PUBLIC
REALLY SEEMS TO GET IT.
WHAT THEY DON'T SEEM TO GET IS
THAT THE ABILITY FOR ANONYMOUS
TO BE EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING IS
IT'S POWER.
>> ANONYMOUS IS A SERIES OF
RELATIONSHIPS -- HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY
ACTIVE IN IT, AND WHO HAVE
VARYING SKILL SETS, AND WHO HAVE
VARYING ISSUES THEY WANT TO
ADVANCE AND WHO ARE
COLLABORATING IN DIFFERENT WAYS
EACH DAY.
>> THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT LIKE A
PRISM OR A KALEIDOSCOPE --
THEY'RE GOT MANY DIFFERENT
FACETS AND MANY DIFFERENT SIDES.
OF COURSE, WHEN YOU SPEND ENOUGH
TIME WITH THEM, YOU START TO GET
A SORT OF FEEL OR TEXTURE THAT'S
NOT JUST RANDOM, RIGHT?
YET IT'S VERY MULTIFACETED,
VERY RICH, WHICH DOES SPAN FROM
THE QUITE LIGHTHEARTED TO THE
VERY, VERY SERIOUS.
>> BOB DYLAN HAD A LINE IN HIS
SONG, TO SING, "TO LIVE OUTSIDE
THE LAW, YOU MUST BE HONEST."
THEY MIGHT DO SOMETHING WHICH
ISN'T TECHNICALLY CORRECT,
MAYBE IT'S NOT LEGALLY CORRECT,
BUT THEY'RE DOING IT FOR
PURPOSES THAT, IN THEIR MINDS AT
LEAST, ARE ETHICAL.
>> PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE
DOING, WHO SHARE AN ETHOS, WHO
HAVE A COMMITMENT TO EXPOSING
AND HUMILIATING "THE MAN," WHO
HAVE A VERY LOW TOLERANCE OF
LIES AND WHAT THEY PERCEIVE AS
EVIL ON THE PART OF OVERWEENING
POWER STRUCTURES.
THEY SHARE INFORMATION, THEY
SHARE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES, AND
THEY ARE CURRENTLY HAVING A VERY
GOOD TIME.
>> THEY HACKER CULTURE, AS WE
KNOW IT, REALLY SPRANG FROM ONE
PLACE.
IT WAS M.I.T., AND IT WAS
SPECIFICALLY THE PEOPLE IN THE
MODEL-RAILROAD CLUB, THE
TECH-MODEL-RAILROAD CLUB.
>> HACKING ORIGINATED AS
HUMOROUS PRANKS WHEN THE GUYS AT
M.I.T. PUT A VOLKSWAGEN UP ON
TOP OF THE DOME OF THE BUILDING,
AND PEOPLE WOKE UP AND SAW THE
CAR UP THERE IN THE MORNING.
OR THEY MEASURED A BRIDGE BY THE
BODY LENGTHS OF SOMEBODY, I
WOULD SAY HIS NAME WAS BRIAN,
AND DISCOVERED THE BRIDGE OVER
THE CHARLES RIVER WAS
822 BRIANS.
THESE ARE FUNNY THINGS.
THAT'S WHERE HACKING ORIGINATED,
AND IT MIGRATED INTO ENGINEERING
AND COMPUTER COMMUNITIES.
IT'S WITTY. IT'S PRANKS.
>> BASICALLY, MICROSOFT AND
APPLE BOTH GOT THEIR ENTIRE
START OFF COMPUTER CRIME.
BILL GATES STOLE PRETTY MUCH ALL
OF MS-DOS.
STEVE JOBS -- HE WAS CREATING
BOXES TO DEFRAUD THE PHONE
COMPANY.
>> I ALWAYS SAW HACKING AS
IMPLICITLY POLITICAL.
HACKERS, WHETHER THEY'RE
CONSCIOUS ABOUT IT OR NOT,
WHETHER THEY'RE EXPLICIT ABOUT
IT OR NOT, MAKE A STATEMENT
ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD TREAT
INFORMATION.
AND SOME YEARS AFTER MY BOOK
CAME OUT, ONE OF THE PEOPLE I
WROTE ABOUT, RICHARD STALLMAN,
GOT VERY PUBLICLY AND
EXPLICITLY POLITICAL ABOUT
SOFTWARE.
AND HE BELIEVED THAT SOFTWARE
SHOULD BE FREE -- FREE AS IN
FREEDOM, NOT FREE AS IN BEER, AS
HE PUT IT THERE.
BEHIND IT, WHETHER MISGUIDED OR
NOT, THERE'S A POLITICAL
IMPULSE.
>> I'M CHRIS WYSOPAL, FORMER
MEMBER OF THE LOPHT.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY SAY
"HACKING GROUP" BECAUSE IT MAKES
IT SOUND LIKE WE'RE HACKING, SO
WE USED TO CALL IT
"A HACKER'S THINK TANK."
"HACKTIVISM" WAS A TERM COINED
BY A GROUP CALLED
"THE CULT OF THE DEAD COW."
THE LOPHT HAD AN INTERESTING
RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE CULT OF THE DEAD COW.
ACTUALLY, THERE WERE SOME
MEMBERS THAT WERE IN BOTH
ORGANIZATIONS.
AND WE KIND OF KEPT, LIKE, THE
SERIOUS SECURITY RESEARCH THAT
THEY WERE DOING, THEY WOULD DO
UNDER THE LOPHT NAME, AND IF
THEY WERE DOING SOME SORT OF
JUST GOOFY STUNT-LIKE THINGS,
THEY WOULD DO IT UNDER
THE CULT OF THE DEAD COW NAME,
BECAUSE THE CULT OF THE DEAD COW
WAS REALLY KIND OF SORT OF LIKE
A PROPAGANDA TYPE OF
ORGANIZATION.
THEY HAD A GUY WHO WAS THE
MINISTER OF PROPAGANDA.
THEY'RE KIND OF MERRY
PRANKSTERS, LIKE EVERYTHING THEY
DID WAS COMPLETELY OVER THE TOP.
ONE OF THE GUYS THERE COINED THE
TERM "HACKTIVISM" BECAUSE HE SAW
ONE OF THE THINGS HIS GROUP WAS
DOING, WHICH HE CALLED
"HACKTIVISM," WAS WRITING
SOFTWARE THAT PEOPLE IN OTHER
COUNTRIES COULD USE TO
COMMUNICATE SECURELY, EVEN IF
THEIR GOVERNMENT WAS SPYING ON
THEM.
SO THE PRINCIPLE WAS REALLY
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.
IT WAS EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, EVERYONE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE
AND GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT ON THE
INTERNET, EVEN MORE IMPORTANT,
IN COUNTRIES WHERE THERE WAS
REPRESSIVE REGIMES THAT IF YOU
SAID SOMETHING AGAINST THE
REGIME, THEY WOULD COME AND TAKE
YOU AWAY AND YOU WEREN'T SAYING
IT ANYMORE.
>> "HACKTIVISM" HAS OFTEN MEANT
TO DESIGNATE A FORM OF POLITICAL
ACTIVITY IN WHICH TECHNOLOGY
ASSISTANCE IS USED FOR
HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVISM.
THAT'S KIND OF THE NARROW SENSE
OF THE WORD.
IT USUALLY STAYS WITHIN THE
PURVIEW OF THE LAW -- USUALLY,
BECAUSE BY PROVIDING
TECHNOLOGICAL ASSISTANCE, YOU
MAY BE BREAKING A LOCAL LAW,
HOWEVER.
AND YET, OTHER FORMS OF DIGITAL
INTERVENTIONS, PROTEST, DISSENT,
DISOBEDIENCE ARE CLEARLY PUSHING
THE BOUNDARIES OF THE LAW, ARE
SEEKING TO ACTIVELY BREAK THE
LAW IN PROTEST, OR ARE JUST
MERELY TRANSGRESSIVE, AS WELL.
>> JUST LIKE IN TRADITIONAL
ACTIVISM, IT SPANS THE FULL
GAMUT FROM SIT-INS OR PICKETS TO
ACTUALLY SPIKING TREES AND
POURING SAND IN THE ENGINES OF
CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES.
I MEAN, THERE'S REAL SABOTAGE.
THE SAME THING DOES ALL FALL
UNDER THE "HACKTIVISM" LABEL.
THERE IS A SPECTRUM.
>> A GOOD PLACE TO START ARE
WITH WHAT HAS OFTEN BEEN CALLED
VIRTUAL SIT-INS, WHICH USE THE
TACTIC OF A DENIAL OF SERVICE
ATTACK.
>> DENIAL OF SERVICE HAS BEEN
AROUND FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
THE EQUIVALENT OF IF YOU, FOR
SOME REASON, WANTED TO DISRUPT A
BUS SERVICE, RIGHT?
YOU CAN HIRE A THOUSAND EXTRAS
TO ALL GO AND LINE UP AT THE BUS
STATION AND GET ON THE BUS.
AND SO THEN ANYONE WHO WAS
REALLY TRYING TO GET ON THE BUS
COULDN'T DO IT.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT -- WHEN
YOU STOP TRYING TO VISIT,
WEBSITE GOES BACK UP, NO
PERMANENT DAMAGE.
>> AND THIS TACTIC HAS BEEN USED
BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GROUPS.
PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS IS THE
ELECTRONIC DISTURBANCE THEATER.
ANOTHER REALLY INTERESTING CASE
HAPPENED IN GERMANY WHERE A
GROUP OF ACTIVISTS GOT TOGETHER
WHO WANTED TO PROTEST THE FACT
THAT THE AIRLINE LUFTHANSA --
THEY WERE USING THEIR PLANES TO
DEPORT IMMIGRANTS.
AND THEY WOULD TAKE DOWN THE
SITE.
AND, IN FACT, EVENTUALLY, THE
GERMAN COURTS RULED THAT THIS
COULD BE A LEGITIMATE FORM OF
PROTEST.
>> THIS SOMETIMES HAS STRONG
ANARCHIST FLAVOR TO IT, AS WELL.
IT'S RESISTANCE TO AUTHORITY AND
THOSE WHO WOULD IMPOSE
GROUP-THINK AND GROUP-BEHAVIOR
ON THE PEOPLE, WHICH WAS
RIGHTLY PERCEIVED TO BE A
CONSEQUENCE OF THE DIGITAL
REVOLUTION AS IT WAS USED BY
PEOPLE IN POWER -- TO DO
HACKING ON BEHALF OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TO REDRESS THE
GRIEVANCES OF THE WORLD.
LANCE-LOWERED DON QUIXOTE ON HIS
HORSE, NAG THOUGH SHE WAS,
FLYING AT THE WINDMILLS OF
MODERN LIFE.
>> ANONYMOUS GREW OUT OF WHAT'S
KNOW AS 4chan.
AND ESSENTIALLY, THIS IS JUST A
WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN UPLOAD
IMAGES AND YOU DON'T ACTUALLY
GIVE YOUR NAME, IT'S JUST SORT
OF ANONYMOUS.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT 4chan,
YOU'RE OFTEN SURPRISED BECAUSE
IT LOOKS LIKE A SITE FROM LIKE
1995 OR SOMETHING.
THE IDEA IS VERY SIMPLE -- YOU
POST A COMMENT AND YOU POST A
PICTURE, AND YOU CAN POST UNDER
YOUR NAME OR ANONYMOUSLY.
AND IT'S SEPARATED INTO BOARDS
ABOUT PARTICULAR TOPICS, SO
THERE'S A TOPIC ON ANIME,
THERE'S A TOPIC ON WEAPONRY.
>> THERE'S LIKE A 4chan BOARD
FOR ORIGAMI AND YOU JUST UPLOAD
INTERESTING PICTURES OF ORIGAMI.
AND THEN, THERE WAS A GROUP
CALLED THE "/b/ board," WHICH
ESSENTIALLY WAS FOR, LIKE,
ANYTHING GOES.
>> THE FIRST TIME ANYBODY GOES
ON /b/, IT'S KIND OF AN INSTANT
REVULSION, 'CAUSE THERE'S NEVER
A TIME THAT YOU GO ON THERE
WHERE YOU DON'T SEE SOMETHING
HORRIBLE.
THAT INSTANTLY PUTS OFF A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
>> THE IDEA IS POST SOMETHING
THAT CAN NEVER BE UNSEEN.
HALF OF THE POSTS ON /b/ ARE
THERE SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE
PEOPLE NOT WANT TO COME BACK TO
/b/.
>> HAVE YOU EVER READ
"LORD OF THE FLIES"?
4chan AND ESPECIALLY /b/ IS
"LORD OF THE FLIES," EXCEPT SOME
OF THEM AREN'T 16 ANYMORE.
THEY'RE JUST ALLOWED TO ACT 16.
>> IT'S THE MOST VILE,
DISGUSTING, AND FUNNY THING ON
THE INTERNET.
>> 4chan WAS FOUNDED BY
CHRIS "MOOT" POOLE WHEN HE WAS
VERY YOUNG, MAYBE 15, IN THE
EARLY 2000s.
HE STARTED 4chan BECAUSE HE WAS
A BIG FAN OF JAPANESE ANIMATION.
>> CHRIS "MOOT" POOLE'S THE
SWEETEST KID YOU'VE EVER MET IN
YOUR LIFE.
HE'S SMALL, AND HE'S, LIKE --
HE'S GOT THESE SORT OF LIKE TINY
FEATURES, AND HE RUNS THE MOST
DISGUSTING WEBSITE IN THE WORLD.
>> WHAT I THINK IS REALLY
INTRIGUING ABOUT A COMMUNITY
LIKE 4chan IS JUST THAT IT'S
THIS OPEN PLACE.
AS I SAID, IT'S RAW, IT'S
UNFILTERED, AND SITES LIKE IT
ARE KIND OF GOING THE WAY OF THE
DINOSAUR RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE ENDANGERED BECAUSE WE'RE
MOVING TOWARDS SOCIAL
NETWORKING.
WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS PERSISTENT
IDENTITY.
WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS, YOU KNOW,
A LACK OF PRIVACY, REALLY.
>> THE /b/ board -- THAT'S THE
EXACT OPPOSITE OF FACEBOOK.
FACEBOOK, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE
WHO YOU ARE AND THERE'S SORT OF
ONE MODEL, WHICH IS THAT YOU'RE
FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE, RIGHT?
IN 4chan, YOU'RE A TOTALLY
ANONYMOUS NOBODY.
AND ANONYMOUS SPEECH IS -- A LOT
OF IT'S UGLY, BUT NOT ALL OF IT
IS.
IT'S ACTUALLY SORT OF A PLACE
WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE HONEST.
>> ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS
ABOUT 4chan IS TO HAVE A THREAD
THAT REALLY EXPLODES AND LASTS
FOR A LONG TIME.
'CAUSE IF IT DOESN'T, THEN IT
DISAPPEARS -- IT'S A SITE THAT'S
NOT ARCHIVED.
SO IT CREATES CONDITIONS FOR
ANYTHING THAT GRABS ATTENTION,
AT SOME LEVEL, AND SO HUMOR AND
GROTESQUENESS, AS A RESULT, ARE
QUITE GOOD FOR THAT.
>> I'D RATHER JUST BE REFERRED
TO AS ANONYMOUS, I GUESS, IN THE
INTERVIEWS 'CAUSE I HAVE SOME
DOCS OUT ON ME.
YOU'LL SEE SOMETHING POSTED ONE
DAY, AND THEN A WEEK LATER IT'S
GOT 50,000 DERIVATIVES OF IT.
>> A LOT OF THE GREAT INTERNET
MEMES THAT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE,
YOU KNOW, LOLCATS, RIGHT, YOU
KNOW, LITTLE CATS DOING FUNNY
THINGS AND THEN THEY HAVE "I CAN
HAS CHEEZBURGER," RIGHT?
ALL THAT STUFF SEEMS TO START IN
THIS PETRI DISH THAT IS 4chan,
/b/ board.
[ PIANO PLAYING ]
>> * SAY IT PUBLICLY, AND
YOU'RE INSANE *
* CHOCOLATE RAIN *
>> NAME ANY MEME FROM THE LAST
ABOUT SIX YEARS, AND I'LL BET
YOU, EITHER IN IT'S FIRST
POSTING EVER WAS ON 4chan, OR AT
LEAST ONE OF IT'S EARLIEST
REVISIONS THAT BECAME WHAT IT
WAS WAS ON 4chan.
>> I CAN SEE THE FOOD SITUATION
IS [BLEEP] SO WE'LL BE ON OUR
WAY.
>> * NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP *
* NEVER GONNA LET YOU DOWN *
>> IT'S BASICALLY THE BEST
BREEDING GROUND FOR INTERNET
CULTURE, AS FAR AS I'M
CONCERNED.
>> * WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
INSURANCE RATES *
* CHOCOLATE RAIN *
>> 4chan IS ALSO VERY KNOWN FOR
ACTS OF TROLLING.
>> FOR THEM, IT'S FUNNY, THAT
PEOPLE THINK THE INTERNET IS
SERIOUS BUSINESS.
AND IF PEOPLE THINK THE INTERNET
IS SERIOUS BUSINESS, IT'S A
TROLL'S JOB TO MAKE THEIR LIFE
TERRIBLE.
>> THE IDEA OF ANONYMOUS CAME
INITIALLY AS A JOKE.
I MEAN, SOMEBODY SUGGESTED THAT,
"WHAT IF THE WHOLE SITE, WHAT IF
4chan, WHAT IF /b/ WAS JUST ONE
PERSON, AND WHAT IF THAT'S JUST
ONE GUY CALLED ANONYMOUS SITTING
SOMEWHERE AND YOU'RE JUST
READING ALL THESE POSTS BY ONE
GUY?"
AND IT KIND OF LOOKED LIKE
THAT, FROM THE OUTSIDER'S
PERSPECTIVE.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY TO TELL
THE DIFFERENCE.
IT MIGHT AS WELL BE ONE GUY.
>> FOX NEWS DID A VERY FAMOUS
SEGMENT ABOUT IT.
>> THEY CALL THEMSELVES
"ANONYMOUS."
THEY ARE HACKERS ON STEROIDS,
TREATING THE WEB LIKE A
REAL-LIFE VIDEO GAME -- SACKING
WEBSITES, INVADING MYSPACE
ACCOUNTS, DISRUPTING INNOCENT
PEOPLE'S LIVES, AND IF YOU FIGHT
BACK, WATCH OUT.
>> THREATS FROM A GANG OF
COMPUTER HACKERS CALLING
THEMSELVES "ANONYMOUS."
>> I'VE HAD SEVEN DIFFERENT
PASSWORDS, AND THEY'VE GOT THEM
ALL SO FAR.
>> ANONYMOUS HACKED HIS SITE AND
PLASTERED IT WITH GAY-SEX
PICTURES.
HIS GIRLFRIEND LEFT HIM.
>> SHE THOUGHT THAT I WAS
CHEATING ON HER WITH GUYS.
>> AS LONG AS I CAN THINK BACK,
ANONYMOUS HAS DONE SOME PRETTY
OFF-COLOR THINGS IN THE NAME OF
GETTING CHEAP LAUGHS, YOU KNOW?
BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S PART OF THE
CULTURE.
>> [ Distorted ] THEY GET WHAT
THEY CALL "LULZ."
>> "LULZ" IS A CORRUPTION OF
"LOL," WHICH STANDS FOR LAUGH
OUT LOUD.
ANONYMOUS GETS BIG "LULZ" FROM
PULLING RANDOM PRANKS.
FOR EXAMPLE, MESSING WITH ONLINE
CHILDREN'S GAMES LIKE
"HABBO HOTEL."
>> "HABBO HOTEL" WAS THIS ONLINE
COMMUNITY WHERE YOU HAD AN
AVATAR AND YOU WALKED AROUND AND
TALKED TO OTHER PEOPLE.
IT WAS KIND OF LIKE AN EARLY
VERSION OF "WORLD OF WARCRAFT"
OR "SECOND LIFE" OR ANY OF THOSE
VIRTUAL WORLDS.
WHAT THE PEOPLE ON /b/ DID WAS
INVADE "HABBO HOTEL," CREATED
THOUSANDS OF AVATARS.
THEY ALL HAD THIS ONE UNIFORM OF
A BLACK GUY WITH A BIG AFRO
WEARING A BLACK SUIT.
AND SO THERE WOULD BE THOUSANDS
OF THESE PEOPLE -- BLACK GUYS,
BLACK SUIT, HUGE AFRO -- WALKING
AROUND THIS WORLD, AND THEY
WOULD DO THINGS LIKE FORM A
SWASTIKA OUT OF THEMSELVES.
AND I THINK THAT WAS A REAL
LANDMARK BECAUSE IT WAS WHEN
THEY WERE ABLE TO SEE THAT THEY
CAN USE THEIR NUMBERS TO DO
SOMETHING REALLY INTERESTING AND
REALLY DISRUPTIVE.
>> THOSE KIDS LOVED THAT POOL.
THEY LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THEIR
POOL.
>> THE GOAL WAS ACTUALLY TO
OFFEND EVERYONE, SIMPLY BECAUSE
THE IDEA THAT WE COULD OFFEND
YOU BY DRAWING A LITTLE SHAPE ON
THE SCREEN WAS STUPID TO THE
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN IT.
THEY WERE LIKE, "REALLY?
YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT MAD OVER
US DOING -- JUST DRAWING THIS ON
THE SCREEN?
WOW, WELL, YOU NEED TO REFOCUS A
LITTLE ON LIFE, 'CAUSE THIS
SHOULD NOT BE UPSETTING YOU THAT
MUCH."
>> BARRETT BROWN, I'M THE
DIRECTOR OF PROJECT PM AND A
FORMER OPERATIVE WITH ANONYMOUS.
WE WERE TARGETING FURRIES, WHICH
MEANT WE ENTERED A SUBCULTURE OF
PEOPLE, OF COURSE, WHO A LOT OF
PEOPLE ON 4chan FIND IRRITATING
BY VIRTUE OF THEY'RE BEING
IRRITATING.
A FURRY IS SOMEONE, GENERALLY A
MALE IN HIS 20s, WHO IDENTIFIES
WITH ANIMALS AND OFTENTIMES HAS
SEXUAL ATTRACTION TO OTHER
PEOPLE DRESSED AS ANIMALS.
WE HAD FURRY INFILTRATORS,
PEOPLE TRYING, YOU KNOW -- WE
HAD SECRET GROUPS.
MINE WAS CALLED THE
"ILLUMINATI/I/ILLUMINATI," AND
OUR GOAL WAS TO WREAK AS MUCH
HAVOC AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE IT
WAS STUPID.
THERE WAS A POINT WHEN I
OTHERWISE SEEMED A RESPECTABLE
WRITER, IN 2007, AND MY FIRST
BOOK HAD COME OUT LIKE THAT, BUT
I SPENT MY EVENINGS ON
"SECOND LIFE," THAT BIG VIRTUAL
WORLD RIDING AROUND IN A VIRTUAL
SPACESHIP WITH THE WORDS
"FAGGORY DAGGORY DO" WRITTEN ON
IT, WEARING AFROS, AND DROPPING
VIRTUAL BOMBS ON LITTLE VILLAGES
AND CONCERTS, AND WAVING GIANT
PENISES AROUND.
AND THAT WAS THE MOST FUN TIME I
EVER HAD IN MY LIFE.
>> ALL THESE DIFFERENT
ORGANIZATIONS ONLINE, WHETHER
IT'S 4chan OR JUST ANY WEBSITE,
THERE'S TYPICALLY A COMMUNITY
ASPECT TO IT.
THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE HAVE THEIR
SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS.
THIS IS WHERE THEIR FRIENDS ARE.
THIS IS WHERE THEY HAVE A
CREATIVE OUTLET.
AND SO ALL THOSE ASPECTS ARE
GOING IN TO GROUPS LIKE
ANONYMOUS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE
THEY'RE PART OF A BIGGER THING
AND THEY'RE ABLE TO EXPRESS
THEMSELVES WITHIN THAT GROUP.
>> THERE WERE CERTAIN WORDS,
CERTAIN PHRASES, CERTAIN WAYS
PEOPLE RESPOND TO THINGS,
CERTAIN IMAGES THAT ARE POSTED
THAT CREATED A PATTERN, AND THAT
PATTERN WAS, I GUESS, THE ORIGIN
OF WHAT IS NOW ANONYMOUS.
>> IT'S LIKE FREE MASONS WITH A
SENSE OF HUMOR, IN SO MUCH THAT
THEY HAVE THIS COMMON SYMBOLOGY
AND ONE OF THEIR CHIEF JOYS,
WHICH IS KIND OF WRAPPED UP IN
POWER AND SECRECY, WAS THE FACT
THAT THEY COULD RECOGNIZE EACH
OTHER BY REFERENCING THESE
SYMBOLS, REFERENCING THESE
PHRASES -- "OVER 9,000."
>> IT'S OVER 9,000!
>> "I LOST MY iPod," "MUDKIPZ,"
ANYTHING INVOLVING MUDKIPZ.
SO YOU HAVE THIS WEIRD SORT OF
INTERNATIONAL CULTURE DEVELOPING
WITH PEOPLE ACROSS THE WORLD,
WHEREVER THEY MAY BE.
>> IN LATE '06, AND INTO EARLY
'07, THERE'S A BIT OF A SEA
CHANGE WHERE INSTEAD OF JUST
POSTING A BUNCH OF CONTENT, OR
RANDOMLY SAYING, "WE'RE GOING TO
GO OVER TO SOME WEBSITE AND POST
A BUNCH OF DIRTY COMMENTS
AGAINST SOMEONE," IT BECOMES A
LITTLE MORE ORGANIZED.
>> WELCOME TO
"THE HAL TURNER SHOW"!
>> THEY WENT AFTER A GUY NAMED
HAL TURNER.
>> I AM BEING DISCRIMINATED
AGAINST BECAUSE I'M WHITE.
>> HAL TURNER WAS A NEO-NAZI WHO
WAS BIG ONLINE AND HAD A
PODCAST.
>> I THINK THAT THE 14th
AMENDMENT WAS NOT RATIFIED
PROPERLY, AND I THINK,
THEREFORE, IT IS STILL OKAY TO
HAVE NEGROES AS SLAVES IN
AMERICA.
>> I'M LIKE, "YEAH, SCREW THAT
RACIST SON OF A BITCH!
LET'S DO THIS," YOU KNOW?
SO I JOINED IN, AND I MADE SOME
OF THE PHONE CALLS AND I PLAYED
AROUND ON THE CHAT THING ON HIS
WEBSITE AND POSTED IN THE
THREADS, AND WHATNOT.
>> WHO ARE YOU?
WHERE YOU CALLING FROM?
>> [ Hispanic accent ] Hola!
This is Pedro! From San Diego!
>> SPIC, DON'T CALL MY RADIO
SHOW ANYMORE, YOU FILTHY SPIC
ANIMAL!
>> The college that I go to has
begun an integration program
where they try and purposely
lower standards to bring more
blacks and "diversify" the
campus.
And by the end of the next five
years, they intend to bring
over 9,000.
>> HE WAS JUST A HORRIBLY RACIST
RADIO PERSONALITY WHO SEEMED TO
HANDLE IT WELL WHEN YOU CALLED
IN.
LIKE, HE COULD HANDLE BEING
BERATED BY ANONYMOUS.
AND THAT MADE IT VERY
INTERESTING.
IT MADE IT A BIT OF A CHALLENGE.
IT WASN'T SOME GUY WHO JUST
EITHER CRUMBLED OR STOPPED
ANSWERING THE PHONE.
IT WAS A GUY WHO WOULD YELL
BACK.
>> I don't see really where
you're going with this.
>> WHERE I'M GOING IS I BELIEVE
BARACK OBAMA IS GENETICALLY
INCAPABLE OF EXERCISING THE
POWER NECESSARY TO GOVERN THE
MOST COMPLICATED NATION ON
EARTH.
THAT'S WHERE I'M GOING WITH
THIS.
AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON
HE'S INCAPABLE OF DOING IT IS
BECAUSE OF RACIAL-GENETIC
INFERIORITY.
IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH FOR YOU?
>> No, you changed the subject
again.
>> WAIT A SECOND, YOU ASKED
ME...
>> HAL TURNER WASN'T THE FIRST
ACTUAL PERSON THAT ANONYMOUS HAD
CAUSED TROUBLE FOR, BUT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES ENDED UP BEING
SIGNIFICANT.
THEY DDoS'd HIS WEBSITE, STUFF
LIKE THAT, COSTING HIM THOUSANDS
OF DOLLARS IN BANDWIDTH FEES.
>> AND THEN THEY ENDED UP
GETTING SOME REAL HACKERS TO
HELP THEM OUT, LIKE THIS WASN'T
SORT OF PRANKS.
THEY ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO GET
INTO HAL TURNER'S PRIVATE
SERVERS AND HIS MAIL SERVERS AND
FIND SOME INTERESTING E-MAILS
THAT HE WAS SERVING AS AN FBI
INFORMANT, WHICH IF YOU'RE A
RIGHT-WING NEO-NAZI IS NOT A
GOOD THING BE.
>> AND OBVIOUSLY, HIM BEING AN
FBI INFORMANT, AND ALSO HIS
REACTION -- HIS SORT OF
DOUCHE-BAGGY REACTION -- TO THE
RAIDS DAMAGED HIS CREDIBILITY
WITHIN THE WHITE NATIONALISTS
SCENE, WHICH IS A SHAME.
>> HAL TURNER'S GONE.
HE'S BEEN PROSECUTED BY THE FEDS
FOR THREATENING JUDGES.
>> IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE
DIFFERENT, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING
DIFFERENT.
PEOPLE WHO OBSERVE ANONYMOUS SEE
THIS GROUP CALLED ANONYMOUS IS
GOING AFTER THIS WHITE
NATIONALIST AND SAY, "OH, HEY,
LOOK, ANONYMOUS MUST BE SOME
KIND OF ACTIVIST ORGANIZATION."
SO, BY VIRTUE OF THOSE PEOPLE
JOINING ANONYMOUS, ANONYMOUS
BECOMES MORE OF AN ACTIVIST
ORGANIZATION.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS A PERIOD OF
CONFUSION AND ANGER IN WHICH THE
ORIGINAL ANONYMOUS PEOPLE -- THE
SORT WHO WANT TO KEEP ANONYMOUS
AS THIS NIHILIST LITTLE
RIDICULOUS GROUP -- ARE UPSET
THAT NOW THE MOST TERRIBLE THING
ON THE INTERNET IS NOW BECOMING
A FORCE FOR GOOD ALL OF A
SUDDEN.
>> ANONYMOUS HAS NEVER BEEN
ABOUT GETTING MEDIA ATTENTION OR
GETTING ALL OF THIS ATTENTION
TOWARDS IT.
I MEAN, IT'S A COMMUNITY, A
PRETTY SOMETIMES INSULAR
COMMUNITY THAT JUST KIND OF KEPT
TO ITSELF, MADE JOKES AND MADE
CONTENT.
BUT THAT WAS, OF COURSE, CHANGED
COMPLETELY.
IT'S THROWN COMPLETELY ON ITS
HEAD WHEN CHANOLOGY STARTED.
>> ANONYMOUS BEGAN TO BECOME
LESS JUST OF A CULTURE, YOU
KNOW, OF PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO
PERFORM PRANKS AND MORE OF THE
INTERNET'S FIRST ARMY.
>> I'M MIKE VITALE, AND MY
HANDLE'S "SETHDOOD."
NOW, THIS IS JANUARY 2008.
ANONYMOUS IS STRONG NOW.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT A LITTLE
DINKY FUCKING GROUP ANYMORE.
LIKE, THIS IS, LIKE, MILLIONS OF
PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, AND WE'RE
WATCHING.
AND THEN SCIENTOLOGY STEPPED IN
WITH A BIG TARGET ON ITS CHEST.
>> A VIDEO CAME OUT OF
TOM CRUISE.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, LIKE, AN
INTERNAL SCIENTOLOGY VIDEO
TALKING ABOUT SECRETS OF
SCIENTOLOGY.
>> BEING A SCIENTOLOGIST, WHEN
YOU DRIVE PAST AN ACCIDENT, IT'S
NOT LIKE ANYONE ELSE.
AS YOU DRIVE PAST, YOU KNOW YOU
HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE ONLY
ONE THAT CAN REALLY HELP.
>> TALKS ABOUT "YOU'RE THE ONLY
ONE WHO CAN STOP, YOU KNOW, BAD
THINGS FROM HAPPENING."
AND SO, THIS IS KIND OF WILDLY
MOCKED ONLINE.
>> IT CIRCULATED LIKE WILDFIRE.
>> [ LAUGHING ]
[ Laughing ] THERE'S NOTHING
PARTING A WAVE FOR ME.
IT'S JUST "WHOO!"
>> THESE PEOPLE FOUND IT
HUMOROUS AND GOOFY.
AND THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
WENT INTO THEIR LEGAL MODE, AND
THEY THREATENED WEBSITES WITH
LAWSUITS IF THEY DIDN'T PULL
DOWN THE VIDEO.
>> INSTANTLY, THE SCIENTOLOGISTS
POST A DMCA -- DIGITAL
MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT.
AND THIS IS A WAY THAT IF YOU
OWN CONTENT, YOU CAN GO TO VIDEO
SITES, UPLOAD SITES AND HAVE
YOUR CONTENT PULLED WHEN SOMEONE
UPLOADS IT ILLEGALLY.
>> SCIENTOLOGY'S ALWAYS AT ODDS
WITH THE INTERNET, ALWAYS TRYING
TO LEGALLY BULLY PEOPLE OUT OF
FUCKING THEM OVER ON THE
INTERNET.
THEY ALWAYS DID THAT.
AND THEN HERE THEY ARE TRYING
AGAIN, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT?
ANONYMOUS SAW THAT, AND THEY
SAID, "OH, YOU GUYS JUST FUCKED
AROUND BADLY.
LIKE, YOU'RE TRYING TO CENSOR
OUR INTERNET.
YOU KNOW, LIKE, ARE YOU TRYING
TO TAKE A JOKE AWAY FROM
ANONYMOUS?
LIKE, YOU DON'T DO THAT."
>> WHAT THESE PEOPLE DID, IN
THIS CASE -- GREGG HOUSH AND
THESE OTHER PEOPLE -- WAS, THEY
DECIDED, YOU KNOW, "WE CAN
PROBABLY HARNESS ANONYMOUS IN
THIS CASE AND TARGET
SCIENTOLOGY."
>> A FEW ANONS, A FEW PEOPLE ON
4chan POSTED "HEY, WE SHOULD
GRAB THAT VIDEO AND POST IT ON A
FEW OTHER SITES."
AND I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN
THAT THREAD TALKING ABOUT IT.
WE GOT THE ORIGINAL SOURCE OF
THE VIDEO BY REACHING OUT TO THE
PERSON BEHIND THE ACCOUNTS AND
EVERYTHING.
WE START POSTING IT.
THE SURPRISING THING WAS HOW
FAST THEY WERE DMCAing THEM ON
EVERY SITE.
IT LOOKED TO US LIKE THEY MUST
HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE
LAWYERS AND THE TEAM WHO
ACTUALLY PULLS VIDEOS AT ALL OF
THESE SITES.
LIKE, IT WAS -- IT WAS MINUTES
AND THESE THINGS WERE FALLING
DOWN.
WE'RE LIKE, "HOLY CRAP.
THAT'S MESSED UP."
>> WHAT FOLLOWED WAS -- THIS IS
A TERM CALLED THE
BARBRA STREISAND EFFECT -- AND
THIS VIDEO, AS THEY'RE
ATTEMPTING TO SUPPRESS IT, WENT
EVERYWHERE.
LIKE, EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK ON THE
INTERNET, YOU WERE GONNA STUMBLE
UPON THIS VIDEO.
>> ACTUALLY, GAWKER, THE SITE
THAT I WORK FOR, WAS, I THINK,
THE FIRST ONE TO PUT IT ON THE
WEBSITE, AND WE GOT IN A HUGE
LEGAL BATTLE WITH SCIENTOLOGY,
WHO WANTED US TO TAKE IT DOWN.
>> A GUY JOINS THE CHANNEL, AND
HE SAYS, "YOU SHOULD ALL LOOK AT
GAWKER."
SO, WE GO OVER TO GAWKER, AND
THE STRANGEST THING HAS
HAPPENED.
THIS BIG MEDIA COMPANY HAD THE
VIDEO UP ON THEIR FRONT PAGE AND
BASICALLY HAD A COMMENT
UNDERNEATH OF IT THAT STATED
VERY CLEARLY THAT THEY WERE SICK
OF THIS ABUSE THAT WAS GOING ON.
THAT MADE US THINK, "WHAT HAVE
WE GOT OURSELF MIXED UP IN
HERE?"
>> SCIENTOLOGY IS AN INTERESTING
TARGET, BECAUSE IN SOME WAYS,
IT'S THE PERFECT INVERSION OF
WHAT GEEKS AND HACKERS VALUE.
AT SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS --
SCIENCE FICTION, INTELLECTUAL
PROPERTY, DISCOURSES OF FREEDOM,
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S VERY PROPRIETARY.
IT'S CLOSED.
AND SO, IN SOME WAYS, IF YOU HAD
SOMETHING LIKE A CULTURAL
INVERSION MACHINE AND YOU STUCK
GEEKS AND HACKERS IN THERE,
YOU'D GET SOMETHING THAT LOOKS A
LOT LIKE SCIENTOLOGY.
SO IT'S QUITE OFFENSIVE, AND
THERE'S A REAL PLEASURE IN
ATTACKING YOUR PERFECT NEMESIS.
>> WHAT REALLY KIND OF DARED US
AND SET US OFF ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY
IS SPECIFICALLY THE TREATMENT OF
THEIR CRITICS.
ANYBODY WHO SAYS ANYTHING BAD
ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY IS
AUTOMATICALLY SOME SORT OF
CRIMINAL, SOME SORT OF CRAZY
PERSON, A DRUG ADDICT.
IT'S JUST THAT KIND OF
MENTALITY, THAT KIND OF -- LIKE,
IF ANYBODY SAYS ANYTHING BAD
ABOUT YOU, WE'RE GONNA FUCK YOU
OVER IN THE WORST POSSIBLE WAY.
IT'S JUST -- IT RESONATED, LIKE,
THIS FEELING OF DISGUST WITHIN
US.
THAT WAS A BIG PROBLEM.
THAT WAS THE BIG PROBLEM, THE
CENSORSHIP ASPECT OF IT, THE
AUDACITY OF THIS CULT, THIS
CREEPY CULT, TO GO INTO OUR
TERRITORY AND TELL US THAT WE
CAN'T POST THIS?
NO. FUCK THEM.
NO. IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
>> AND PEOPLE WHO KNEW WHAT
ANONYMOUS WAS TO BEGIN WITH WERE
LIKE, "OH, MY GOD.
ANONYMOUS IS GONNA GO TO WAR
WITH SCIENTOLOGY?
THIS SHOULD BE REALLY
INTERESTING."
ESPECIALLY 'CAUSE IT'S TWO
WEIRD-ASS GROUPS.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN AN
ANON FOR A LONG FUCKING TIME.
I KNOW ANONYMOUS IS REALLY
STRANGE.
LIKE, THEY'RE WEIRD, AND THE
STUFF WE LIKE IS WEIRD, AND IT'S
REALLY NOT MAINSTREAM AT ALL.
NOW YOU HAVE SCIENTOLOGY -- ALSO
REALLY WEIRD.
A LOT OF CRAZY SHIT GOES DOWN.
ANYBODY ON THE OUTSIDE WHO'S
SEEN THIS IS GOING, "LET'S WATCH
THESE TWO RETARDS FIGHT.
LIKE, BOTH THEIR PANTS ARE GONNA
FALL DOWN.
THEY'RE GONNA TRIP, AND IT'S
GONNA HURT EVERYBODY, AND IT'S
GONNA BE HYSTERICAL."
AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS ALL THESE
PEOPLE WHO WERE GEARED UP, THE
INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT TO WAR
WITH OTHER ANONS, SAID, "YOU
KNOW WHAT -- FUCK IT.
EVERYBODY'S GONNA GET TOGETHER
AND POUND THE FUCK OUT OF
SCIENTOLOGY."
>> AND THEN THAT'S WHEN 4chan
KIND OF REARED INTO ACTION,
REALLY REARED INTO ACTION.
AND THEY STARTED TO TROLL THE
CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY.
AND THIS TOOK THE FORM OF
PRANKING THE DIANETICS HOTLINE,
ORDERING PIZZAS.
>> EVERY FAX NUMBER WE GET, AND
WE'RE SHARING THEM ALL.
YOU KNOW, EVERY NUMBER WE GET,
WE'D SEND BLACK PIECES OF PAPER
ON A LOOP UNTIL IT WASTES ALL
THEIR INK.
I GO TO CALL THEM ON THE PHONE,
AND IT'S BUSY, BUSY, BUSY.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THEIR MAIN
FUCKING DIANETICS HOTLINE, THEIR
DIANETICS 800-NUMBER.
YOU CAN'T GET THROUGH BECAUSE
ANONS HAVE COMPLETELY FUCKING
CLOGGED IT AND JUST PROBABLY
SAYING STUPID SHIT.
THE WHOLE IDEA WAS JUST YOU CALL
THEM JUST TO KEEP THEM ON THE
PHONE.
"WHAT'S AN ELROND?
HOW DO I DIANETICS MY FACE?"
THEY WERE NOT EXPECTING THAT,
AND THEY COULDN'T HANDLE IT.
>> I'M BRIAN METTENBRINK.
I ALWAYS LIKED ANYTHING
TECHNICAL, MECHANICAL, ANYTHING
SCIENCEY, REALLY.
COMPUTERS DO WHAT YOU TELL THEM
TO.
THEY DON'T ALL OF A SUDDEN START
DOING WEIRD STUFF.
AND IF THEY DO, IT'S PROBABLY
YOUR FAULT, AND I ALWAYS LIKE
THAT, YOU KNOW.
THEY'RE PERFECT, REALLY, IN A
WAY.
I'D JUST GONE TO 4chan JUST ON
PURE HAPPENSTANCE, AND I SAW A
POST ABOUT THE SCIENTOLOGY
THING, AND I STARTED LOOKING UP
STUFF.
AND I'M LIKE, "OH, THIS IS
ACTUALLY FOR A DECENT CAUSE.
I THINK I'LL, YOU KNOW, DO
THIS."
>> ANONYMOUS MEMBERS HAVE
DEVELOPED A DISTRIBUTED
DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACK TOOL
CALLED LOW-ORBIT ION CANNON,
WHICH IS A NAME TAKEN FROM A
COMPUTER GAME.
>> LOW-ORBIT ION CANNON IS
WHAT'S CALLED AN ENDGAME WEAPON
IN "RED ALERT."
ALL YOU HAD TO DO WAS LITERALLY
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS STEP BY
STEP.
I DOWNLOADED A PROGRAM THAT'S
FREE AND LEGAL FOR ANYONE TO
DOWNLOAD AND USE.
AND I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS,
AND I TYPED IN
www.scientology.org, AND I
PUSHED "GO."
AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT TELLS
scientology.org, IN THIS CASE --
IT TELLS THEM TO SEND THEIR
WEBSITE TO MY COMPUTER ABOUT, I
THINK, IT WAS 800,000 TIMES IN A
WEEKEND.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE I PROBABLY
TOOK IT DOWN MYSELF A COUPLE OF
TIMES.
>> THIS TOOL IS LOW-ORBIT ION
CANNON, SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS
"LOIC."
I AM ACTUALLY NOT BREAKING ANY
LAWS BY USING THIS TOOL AGAINST
MY OWN COMPUTER, 127.0.0.1,
WHICH IS A NON-ROUTABLE ADDRESS.
BUT, OF COURSE, IF I WERE TO
HAVE ATTACKED ONE OF THOSE OTHER
BIGGER SITES OUT THERE, I WOULD
HAVE SEVERELY BEEN BREAKING THE
LAW AND WOULD HAVE BEEN DOING IT
IN A WAY THAT WAS QUITE EASY TO
TRACK.
WHAT YOU DO IS, YOU PUT IN THE
SITE.
YOU SEE THAT THE I.P. IS
CORRECT.
YOU MAKE SURE THAT ALL THESE
SETTINGS ARE GOOD, AND YOU HIT
THE BUTTON.
AND OFF IT GOES.
>> IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE MAKING
A DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, JUST YOU
YOURSELF AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN
HAVE TO LEAVE YOUR HOME, YOU
KNOW?
YOU JUST SAT AT YOUR COMPUTER
AND FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND
STOOD UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE
IN, SO TO SPEAK.
YOU MADE YOUR SAY IN THE WORLD,
AND HOPEFULLY IT TURNS OUT
BETTER FOR IT.
>> AND LIKE I SAID, WE NEED TO
MAKE A VIDEO.
WE HAVE TO MAKE A VIDEO.
>> HELLO, LEADERS OF
SCIENTOLOGY.
WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
>> WHEN THE VIDEO CAME OUT ON
JANUARY 21st, THAT WAS ONE OF
THE FIRST TIMES THAT ANONYMOUS
AS A CULTURE STARTED REFERRING
TO ITSELF AS "ANONYMOUS," AS A
MOVEMENT AND DECLARED THAT IT
WAS GOING TO TAKE DOWN AND
DESTROY THE CHURCH OF
SCIENTOLOGY.
THAT VIDEO PROBABLY CHANGED
EVERYTHING.
>> KNOWLEDGE IS FREE.
WE ARE ANONYMOUS. WE ARE LEGION.
WE DO NOT FORGIVE.
WE DO NOT FORGET. EXPECT US.
>> IT BASICALLY LOOKED LIKE IF A
COMPUTER WAS GOING TO TELL YOU
THAT HE WAS GONNA BEAT THE SHIT
OUT OF YOU, THIS IS WHAT IT
WOULD LOOK LIKE.
>> THAT ONE VIDEO, IT REALLY
GALVANIZED THAT MOMENT, THAT
MOMENT OF INNOVATION THAT THAT'S
EXACTLY -- LIKE, WITH THAT
VIDEO, INTERNET ACTIVISM, AS
IT'S KNOWN TODAY, WAS BORN.
>> WHAT THE VIDEO WAS SAYING
WAS, "IT'S OVER.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
FOLLOW PEOPLE BACK TO THEIR
HOUSE ANYMORE WITH IMPUNITY.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO
JUST ISSUE A CEASE-AND-DESIST
LETTER TO ANY REPORTER WHO WANTS
TO WRITE SOME SHIT ABOUT YOU
THAT YOU DON'T LIKE, YOU KNOW.
THAT'S DONE WITH.
EVERY TIME YOU DO THAT,
ANONYMOUS IS GONNA HIT YOU
HARDER."
>> SO, WE MADE A VIDEO NAMED
"CALL TO ARMS."
IT SAID "WE'RE GOING TO THE
STREETS.
EVERY MAJOR CITY OF THE WORLD
HAS A SCIENTOLOGY BUILDING."
>> BE VERY WARY OF THE 10th OF
FEBRUARY.
ANONYMOUS INVITES YOU TO JOIN US
IN AN ACT OF SOLIDARITY.
ANONYMOUS INVITES YOU TO TAKE UP
THE BANNER OF FREE SPEECH, OF
HUMAN RIGHTS, OF FAMILY AND
FREEDOM.
JOIN US IN PROTEST OUTSIDE OF
SCIENTOLOGY CENTERS WORLDWIDE.
>> AND YOU JUST SEE THIS
CONSENSUS FORMING THAT IT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO WE MADE THE THIRD VIDEO, THE
"CODE OF CONDUCT."
"DON'T BRING WEAPONS.
DRESS ACCORDINGLY.
COVER YOUR FACES 'CAUSE THEY
WILL TRY AND FIND OUT WHO YOU
ARE AND SCREW WITH YOUR LIFE."
>> RULE NUMBER 17 -- COVER YOUR
FACE.
THIS WILL PREVENT YOUR
IDENTIFICATION FROM VIDEOS TAKEN
BY HOSTILES.
>> SCIENTOLOGY HAS A HISTORY OF
HARASSING, STALKING, AND JUST
DOING HORRIBLE THINGS TO ITS
CRITICS.
SO PEOPLE NEEDED A WAY TO HIDE
THEIR IDENTITIES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD VERY
LEGITIMATE FEARS.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE FOLLOWED
HOME.
THEY DON'T WANT TO BE STALKED.
THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT THEIR
FAMILIES AND THEMSELVES IN
DANGER.
>> EVERYONE WAS GOING, "WELL,
WE'RE GONNA WEAR A MASK.
WHAT'S THE ONLY FUCKING MASK
THAT WE ALREADY KNOW OR HAVE A
JOKE ABOUT?"
AND IT'S THE GUY FAWKES MASK.
YOU SEE THE MOVIE
"V FOR VENDETTA."
YOU KNOW, THE ENDING SCENE WHERE
EVERYONE'S WEARING THE
GUY FAWKES MASK, THAT IS VERY
REMINISCENT OF WHAT ANONYMOUS
THINKS ANONYMOUS IS.
WE WANTED TO REPRESENT ANONYMITY
IN SOME WAY WHEN IT MOVED INTO
REAL LIFE.
I THINK THAT THE GUY FAWKES MASK
WAS ONE OF THE MOST NATURAL
THINGS TO HAPPEN.
IT IS THE IDEA THAT NONE OF US
ARE AS CRUEL AS ALL OF US.
YOU HAVE THIS MASSIVE CROWD OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE ANONYMOUS THAT IS
GOING TO FIGHT AGAINST A BIGGER
THING AND WIN.
>> EVEN AFTER WATCHING THE
VIDEOS, LIKE, "YEAH, THIS IS
GREAT, BUT WHO'S ACTUALLY GONNA
DO IT?
WHO'S GONNA STEP UP?
ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY GONNA GET
OUT OF THEIR HOUSE?"
LIKE -- AND I GUESS WE WERE
REALLY AFFECTED BY THE
STEREOTYPE OF THAT WHOLE
COMMUNITY, BEING INTERNET NERDS.
THEY'RE TOO AFRAID TO LEAVE
THEIR MOMS' BASEMENTS.
I FIGURED MAYBE 15 NERDS FROM
EVERY CITY SOMEWHERE MIGHT SHOW
UP AND WEAR THEIR MASKS AT A
BUILDING FOR AWHILE AND LEAVE.
>> NO ONE THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE
GONNA COME OUT.
THIS IS ME ON THE WAY THERE.
I HAVEN'T SLEPT.
I'M VERY FUCKING TIRED.
AND I REMEMBER GOING TO THE PARK
THAT DAY, AND IT'S REALLY
FUCKING EARLY IN THE MORNING,
WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BAD IDEA.
AND I'M SMOKING A CIGARETTE, AND
I'M LOOKING AROUND LIKE, "WHERE
THE FUCK IS EVERYBODY?
LIKE, THERE'S NOBODY HERE."
SO, HERE I AM SITTING IN
BRYANT PARK.
WAITING FOR THE OTHER ANONS TO
SHOW UP.
I REMEMBER THINKING LIKE, "OH,
FUCK.
LIKE, AM I GONNA BE THE ONLY ONE
IN THE PARK?
AM I GONNA WALK TO SCIENTOLOGY
WITH FUCKING SIX OR SEVEN
PEOPLE, WHICH TOTALLY DEFEATS
THE ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THIS
BECAUSE NOW THEY COULD SINGLE ME
OUT?"
YOU KNOW, THEN I GET UP, AND I
START WALKING AROUND, AND I SEE
THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN BALLOONS
OVER THERE FOR SOME REASON.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK,
THERE WAS LIKE FUCKING 200
PEOPLE.
THERE WAS GUY FAWKES MASKS
EVERYWHERE, AND I'M LIKE, "HOLY
SHIT, THIS IS HUGE!"
THERE'S A FUCKING LOT OF US.
THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
I HAD NO IDEA HOW MANY ANONS
THERE WERE UNTIL WE STARTED
MOVING.
HA HA.
AND IT JUST FUCKING GOT BIGGER.
I REMEMBER WALKING THROUGH
TIMES SQUARE, AND EVERYBODY IN
TIMES SQUARE WAS AN ANON.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, LIKE, A
FUCKING 1,000-PERSON PER, LIKE,
FUCKING MINUTE FOOT-TRAFFIC
AREA, AND EVERYWHERE I'M
LOOKING, I'M SEEING FUCKING ANON
SYMBOLS.
IT WAS FUCKING WILD.
IT WAS REALLY WILD.
[ CROWD CHANTING
"DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID" ]
[ LAUGHS ]
>> WHOO!
HELL, YEAH!
>> SO WE START GETTING NUMBERS
IN, AND SYDNEY.
WE'RE THINKING THAT IT'S GOING
TO BE 50 PEOPLE.
AND BEFORE 10:00 A.M., BEFORE
EVEN TIME, THERE'S ALREADY 50
PEOPLE THERE, AND THERE ARE
STILL STREAMS OF PEOPLE WALKING
DOWN THE STREETS.
A COUPLE HOURS INTO IT, YOU
KNOW, 'CAUSE I DIDN'T GO TO BED
UNTIL 1:00 IN THE MORNING, YOU
KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SYDNEY
AS, "WOW, THERE'S 250 PEOPLE IN
SYDNEY.
THE COPS ARE ESTIMATING HIGHER
THAN THAT FOR THEIR REPORTS.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
ADELAIDE, PERTH, AND MELBOURNE
HAPPENED.
AND, YOU KNOW, OVER 200 AT EACH
OF THEM.
WE NEARLY BROKE 1,000 LEAVING
AUSTRALIA.
NOW, THE NEXT PROTEST WAS
TEL AVIV, WHICH HAD ACTUALLY
GOTTEN ITS FIRST SCIENTOLOGY
BUILDING RIGHT BEFORE THIS.
THERE WERE PALESTINIANS AND
ISRAELIS AT THIS PROTEST BOTH
HOLDING THEIR FLAGS.
AND AT ONE POINT, THEY ACTUALLY
SWITCHED FLAGS AND HELD UP EACH
OTHER'S FLAGS AND WHATNOT.
IT WAS AWESOME TO SEE.
I CALL OUR GUY IN LONDON,
BRITERNON, AND I SAY, "HEY,
WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?"
AND HE'S LIKE, "DID YOU JUST GET
OUT OF BED?"
I SAID, "YEAH, I HAVEN'T EVEN
TURNED ON THE COMPUTER.
I JUST FIGURED I'D CALL YOU."
AND HE SAID, "WE GOT 600 PEOPLE
AND THE COPS ARE REALLY, REALLY
MAD AT ME."
>> ALL THE MAJOR CITIES WERE
HAVING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE COME
OUT.
IT WAS MASSIVE.
CLEARWATER HAD LIKE 300 PEOPLE.
>> I DON'T THINK ANYONE BEAT OUT
L.A.
I THINK L.A. HAD OVER 1,000
PEOPLE.
>> THE THING THAT HAPPENED WAS
SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE
FROM EVERY CITY JUST SWARMED THE
STREETS.
IT WAS KIND OF OVERWHELMING, A
LITTLE EVEN SCARY, BUT SCARY IN
A GOOD WAY.
>> SOON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT
AROUND THE 10,000 MARK, YOU
KNOW, AND WE WERE JOKING THE
WHOLE TIME "OVER 9,000," YOU
KNOW, ONE OF THOSE MEMES.
IT WAS TOO SURREAL.
IT WAS NOT BELIEVABLE.
[ HORN HONKS ]
>> AND YOU GO BY WHAT NAME?
>> WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
>> IT WAS VERY EMPOWERING,
ESPECIALLY AFTER PEOPLE SAW THE
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP.
THIS WAS IT.
WE OWNED THE WORLD AT THAT
POINT.
YOU'VE GOT LOLCATS AND YOU'VE
GOT RICKROLLING.
YOU'VE GOT ALL THESE OTHER
THINGS THAT ANONYMOUS HAS BEEN
INVOLVED IN.
THEN, YOU KNOW, TAKE US A MONTH
LATER AND, YOU KNOW, 10,000
PEOPLE WERE JUST IN THE STREETS
AND IN EVERY MAJOR COUNTRY IN
THE WORLD IN EVERY MAJOR CITY
IN THE WORLD AND WHAT THE HELL
JUST HAPPENED?
WHAT CHANGED, YOU KNOW?
WHO FLIPPED THE SWITCH?
THE WORLD LOOKED VERY DIFFERENT
TO ME AT THAT POINT.
>> WE ALL MET EACH OTHER.
THE IDEA OF AN ANON IS YOU'RE
FUCKING ALONE UNTIL YOU GET TO
4chan, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THESE
PEOPLE THINK LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU'RE NOT
ALONE.
YOU ARE WITH FUCKING 500 OTHERS,
YOU KNOW.
THEY ALL KNOW THE SAME JOKES AS
YOU.
THEY ALL HAVE -- CLEARLY HAVE
SIMILAR INTERESTS AS YOU.
HERE'S YOUR CULTURE.
YOU MEET YOUR OWN PEOPLE
FINALLY.
[ CROWD CHANTING
"DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID" ]
>> IMMEDIATELY, YOU FELT LIKE
YOU WERE AT HOME.
IF YOU WERE AN ANON, YOU WERE AT
HOME.
WE ALL, LIKE, SPENT YEARS IN THE
SAME PLACE, LOOKING AT THE SAME
PICTURES, LAUGHING AT THE SAME
JOKES, AND WE PRETTY MUCH WERE
ALREADY FRIENDS EVEN THOUGH
WE'VE NEVER, EVERY MET.
IT WAS VERY HAPPY.
>> IT'S PERHAPS A LITTLE
SURPRISING.
IT'S NOT JUST PRETEENS OR
TEENAGERS.
THERE'S A FAR MORE EVEN MIX OF
MALES AND FEMALES THAN YOU WOULD
IMAGINE OTHERWISE.
>> EVERYONE ALWAYS FIGURED
ANONYMOUS WAS A VERY MALE, YOU
KNOW, THING, BUT IT WASN'T LIKE
THAT AT ALL -- AT ALL.
THERE'S SOME FUCKING HOT GIRLS
COME THROUGH.
LIKE, THERE'S SOME REALLY --
LIKE, YOU'D BE SURPRISED.
>> AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A
LOT OF -- A LOT OF, YOU KNOW,
THESE SO-CALLED GUYS WHO WEREN'T
SOCIALLY GOOD.
THEY WERE VERY AWKWARD.
THEY STILL LIVED AT HOME AT
23 -- HALF OF THEM ARE VIRGINS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF
THOSE PEOPLE WHO GOT LAID FROM
THESE PROTESTS HAPPENING IS IN
THE THOUSANDS -- THAT WOULD NOT
HAVE, FOR YEARS PROBABLY.
>> AND THAT'S WHY THOSE PROTESTS
WERE SO IMPORTANT.
IT WAS A CHANCE TO FINALLY MEET
OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE
PREVIOUSLY ANONYMOUS AND
UNKNOWN, AND HENCE IT WAS THE
MOMENT OF THE END OF THEIR
ANONYMITY.
>> SCIENTOLOGY -- THEY KIND OF
FOUGHT BACK, SO TO SPEAK.
THEY POSTED STUFF ONLINE.
>> WHILE CLAIMING THEY ARE
PEACEFUL, IN LESS THAN THREE
WEEKS, ANONYMOUS MEMBERS MADE OR
ENCOURAGED 8,139 HARASSING OR
THREATENING PHONE CALLS, 3.6
MILLION MALICIOUS E-MAILS, 141
MILLION HITS AGAINST CHURCH
WEBSITES, 10 ACTS OF VANDALISM,
22 BOMB THREATS, AND 8 DEATH
THREATS AGAINST MEMBERS AND
OFFICIALS OF THE CHURCH OF
SCIENTOLOGY.
>> THEY WANTED TO FIND ME.
THEY DID. THEY HIRED P.I.s.
>> THEY STARTED TAKING PICTURES
OF US, THREATENING TO SUE US.
>> PEOPLE WERE GETTING FOLLOWED.
PEOPLE WERE GETTING FOLLOWED
HOME.
IT'D BE A REGULAR THING FOR
SOMEONE TO SAY, "OH, I HAD TO --
I HAD TO LOSE SOMEONE ON THE
SUBWAY.
I SAW SOMEONE FROM THE
SCIENTOLOGY CENTER, AND THEY
WERE FOLLOWING ME."
>> THEY WOULD FOLLOW US TO OUR
HOUSES, TRY TO INTIMIDATE US,
SEND US CEASE-AND-DESIST
LETTERS.
THESE OLD TACTICS THAT THEY USED
TO FIGHT THE ACTIVISM THEY FACED
BEFORE THE INTERNET WERE
COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE AGAINST
CHANOLOGY.
>> YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVED THEM ACTUALLY
FRAMED THEM AND PUT THEM ON
THEIR WALL.
I'VE SEEN MULTIPLE OF THEM
FRAMED AND PUT ON THE WALL.
MINE'S SITTING IN MY CLOSET
SOMEWHERE IN A BOX.
>> I DID THE WHOLE LOW-ORBIT ION
CANNON STUFF, AND THEN I PRETTY
MUCH JUST WENT ABOUT MY LIFE
AFTER THAT FOR PROBABLY, LET'S
SEE, I THINK IT'S SIX MONTHS.
AND THEN THE FBI SHOWED UP HERE
AT MY PARENTS' HOUSE, WHERE I
WASN'T, LOOKING FOR ME.
>> TWO MEN GOT OUT OF THE CAR,
AND TOOK THEIR JACKETS OFF, AND
LAID THEIR GUNS ON THE FRONT
SEAT, AND CAME UP TO ASK US IF
BRIAN WAS HOME, AND EXPLAINED
THAT THEY WERE THE FBI AND THEY
WERE LOOKING FOR BRIAN.
AND I'VE NEVER BEEN SO SCARED.
>> AND THEN MY PARENTS DIRECTED
THEM TO WHERE I WAS LIVING, AND
THEY SHOWED UP AND SAID, "I'D
LIKE TO HAVE A FRIENDLY
CONVERSATION WITH YOU."
AND I HAD THE WORST FRIENDLY
CONVERSATION OF MY LIFE.
WE SAT DOWN AT MY DINING-ROOM
TABLE, AND THEY JUST STARTED
ASKING ME QUESTIONS.
AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT THEY'RE HERE FOR 'CAUSE I
HAVE NO IDEA.
AND THEY EVENTUALLY STARTED
ASKING ME QUESTIONS ABOUT
ANONYMOUS.
>> I WAS SCARED TO DEATH.
I MEAN, MY SON IS...IS LOOKING
AT FIVE YEARS IN JAIL AND A
$100,000 FINE.
>> YOU KNOW, I HAD NO IDEA THAT
IT WAS ANY SORT OF -- THIS BIG
OF A CRIME TO DO WHAT I DID.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THE KIND OF
"SLAP ON A WRIST," $200-FINE
TYPE CRIME.
SO, I ACTUALLY TOLD THEM THAT I
DID IT AT THAT POINT.
THEN IT WENT FROM THERE.
YEAH.
>> AS HE EXPLAINED IT TO ME AT
THE TIME, IT WAS LIKE PUSHING
THE REFRESH BUTTON OVER AND OVER
AND OVER AND OVER 800,000 TIMES.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A LITTLE
THING.
>> I DID THE SECOND-MOST DAMAGE
IS WHAT SCIENTOLOGY SAID I DID.
I SENT THE SECOND-MOST OUT OF
EVERYBODY SO I GOT THE MAXIMUM
FOR MY CATEGORY, WHICH WAS ONE
YEAR IN PRISON AND ONE YEAR
SUPERVISED RELEASE.
I THINK -- YOU KNOW, THE WAY I
FEEL IS, FOR WHAT I DID -- WAS
ONE OF THE MOST, LIKE, LOPSIDED
PUNISHMENTS I'VE EVER, LIKE,
READ ABOUT OR HEARD OF.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS,
ESPECIALLY THE YEAR SUPERVISED
RELEASE WHERE I CAN'T TOUCH A
COMPUTER FOR A YEAR.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT'S
SUPPOSED TO SOLVE, EXCEPT MAKE
MY, LIKE, LIFE DIFFICULT.
SO, THAT COMPUTER BEHIND ME,
BACK THERE, I COULD GO BACK TO
PRISON IF I WENT OVER AND
TOUCHED IT, BECAUSE I CAN'T
KNOWINGLY ASSOCIATE WITH MEMBERS
OF ANONYMOUS.
THEY JUST MADE A BIG DEAL ABOUT
SCIENTOLOGY AS A RELIGION AND
THAT THIS IS AMERICA AND YOU CAN
BELIEVE IN WHATEVER YOU WANT TO
BELIEVE.
I'M PRETTY SURE THEY ACTUALLY
COMPARED ME TO, LIKE, THE KKK
AND THE NAZIS AND STUFF IN THE
COURTROOM.
>> YEAH, IT'S -- IT'S A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ISSUE.
I'M VERY PROUD OF WHAT HE DID.
HE STOOD UP FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED
IN, BUT THAT WAS NEVER, EVER
MENTIONED.
>> I NEVER WOULD EVEN DREAM OF
HURTING ANYBODY, YOU KNOW.
IT'S JUST...NOT ME.
>> PRIOR TO ANONYMOUS, CRITICS
OF THE CHURCH STILL HAD TO BE
VERY, VERY CAREFUL BECAUSE OF
THE AGGRESSIVE LAWSUITS THAT
WERE LAUNCHED AGAINST ACADEMICS,
JOURNALISTS, AND OTHER CRITICS.
I WOULD SAY THAT ERA IS OVER.
AND ANONYMOUS MORE THAN ANY
OTHER SORT OF INTERVENTION IS
PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT
CHANGE.
>> THIS ACTUALLY CAUSED A DECENT
RIFT IN ANONYMOUS.
>> THERE WAS ONE BIG GROUP --
SIGNIFICANT GROUP OF PEOPLE, WHO
WOULD SAY, "THIS CHANOLOGY
STUFF, IT'S CANCER, IT'S AWFUL,
IT'S BAD, IT'S -- IT'S JUST
BRINGING ATTENTION TO US THAT WE
DON'T WANT."
>> THE TROLLING ISN'T HAPPENING.
WE AREN'T GETTING OUR JOLLIES.
LIKE, NOW THIS IS ALL REALLY
SERIOUS AND MORAL AND SOMBER.
AND, LIKE, "WELL, THAT'S NOT
WHAT I SIGNED UP FOR -- THAT
KIND OF THING."
AND THEN THERE ARE THE PEOPLE
WHO WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHO
WERE GOING, "WELL, I ONLY SIGNED
UP FOR THE SERIOUS AND SOMBER.
YOU GUYS, GO AWAY.
THIS IS -- THIS IS," YOU KNOW.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE BECAME THIS
VERY FIERCE CLASH OF IDEOLOGIES,
AND IT WAS ALIEN TO US.
>> AND THEY DECIDED -- IN THEIR
OWN WORDS, WHICH I WAS PRIVY TO,
'CAUSE IT WAS TOLD TO ME --
"STOP RUINING OUR BAD NAME."
SO, TO MAKE ANONYMOUS LOOK BAD,
THEY GO OFF AND THEY POST
ANIMATED GIFs -- ANIMATED
IMAGES -- TO EPILEPSY FORUMS,
THAT ARE BLACK AND WHITE, JUST
STROBING REALLY QUICKLY, SO ANY
OF THE EPILEPSY PEOPLE ON THESE
SUPPORT FORUMS SEE IT AND THEY
FALL OFF THEIR CHAIRS, YOU KNOW,
IN SEIZURE.
YOU START HEARING THIS TERM,
"MORALFAG."
IF YOU'RE NOT OUT THERE MAKING
EPILEPTICS HAVE SEIZURES, THEN
YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG --
SO, YOU'RE A MORALFAG.
>> WHICH IS WHAT I AM -- A
MORALFAG, THOSE WHO WANT TO
USE ANONYMOUS AS, YOU KNOW, A
TOOL FOR GOOD IN SOME SENSE
RATHER THAN JUST DOING WHAT WE
USED TO DO, WHICH WAS TO SCREW
WITH VIDEO GAMES.
>> ONE ANON SAID IT WELL ONCE.
"THERE IS NO LEADER.
THEIR OPS HAVE...MOMENTARY
LEADERS, DE FACTO LEADERS."
>> ALMOST THROUGH MERITOCRACY.
THERE'S MORE RESPECTED OR MORE
PERSISTENT PARTICIPANTS.
SOME PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN A
SINGLE OPERATION AND ARE NEVER
HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IT MIGHT EVEN BE A HOUSEWIFE WHO
JUST, YOU KNOW, AGREES WITH THAT
POLITICAL STATEMENT OR THAT
PROTEST.
>> IF YOU HAD ASKED ME ALL
THROUGHOUT 2008 AND MOST OF
2009, "IS THE POLITICS OF
ANONYMOUS ALWAYS GONNA BE
SUTURED AND HINGED TO THE CHURCH
OF SCIENTOLOGY?" I WOULD HAVE
SAID YES.
AND IT BECAME UNSUTURED,
UNHINGED, WHEN A DIFFERENT
POLITICAL WING WAS BORN IN 2010.
>> IT'S OUR TASK TO FIND SECRET
ABUSIVE PLANS AND EXPOSE THEM
WHERE THEY CAN BE OPPOSED BEFORE
THEY'RE IMPLEMENTED.
>> THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT
SOMEONE LIKE ASSANGE IS THAT HE
ACTUALLY ALSO SPRANG FROM, YOU
KNOW, A HACKER CULTURE.
IT'S A MENTALITY OF SPREADING
INFORMATION.
>> JULIAN WAS MENDAX.
HE WAS THE GREATEST HACKER THAT
EVER WALKED THE FACE OF THE
EARTH WHEN I WAS A KID.
I MEAN, THEY RUMORED HE COULD
MOVE SATELLITES AROUND IN SPACE
BY HACKING INTO NASA.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT NEVER
HAPPENED BUT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW,
IT WAS A MYTH THAT KEPT YOUNG
KIDS LIKE ME WANTING TO, LIKE,
YOU KNOW, PLUG A COMPUTER INTO A
MODEM AND SEE IF I CAN MOVE SOME
SATELLITES AROUND.
>> WikiLeaks IS AN EXTENSION OF
THE HACKERS ETHOS -- TRUTH WANTS
TO BE FREE, AND WE WANT TO
LIBERATE IT.
>> WikiLeaks RELEASED A HUGE
TROVE OF DIPLOMATIC CABLES.
THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY
FROM EVERY QUARTER OF SOCIETY.
>> THE WikiLeaks WEBSITE
RELEASED NEARLY 400,000 SECRET
U.S. FILES ON THE IRAQ WAR LATE
TODAY.
IT WAS THE LARGEST LEAK OF
CLASSIFIED U.S. FILES IN
HISTORY.
>> THE DIPLOMATIC CABLES SHOW
THE U.S. IS SPYING ON ITS
ALLIES.
>> LOTS OF THINGS WHICH WERE
UNDERSTOOD IN PRIVATE AND MAY
HAVE BEEN NOT EVEN TALKED ABOUT
EXPLICITLY -- SUDDENLY THEY'RE
OUT THERE IN THE COLD LIGHT OF
DAY, AND IT'S GONNA MAKE SOME
GOVERNMENTS AND SOME INDIVIDUALS
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
>> THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR
MOMENT THAT REALLY SPARKED THE
FIRE, AND THIS WAS WHEN PayPal,
MasterCard, AND AMAZON PULLED
SERVICES FOR WikiLeaks.
>> SO, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THERE'S
NO WAY TO ACTUALLY, LIKE,
PROCESS DONATIONS TO WikiLeaks.
AND THEN PEOPLE WENT AND FOUND,
LIKE, NEO-NAZI GROUPS.
VISA AND MasterCard WERE
PERFECTLY FINE WITH YOU BEING
ABLE TO, LIKE, YOU KNOW, PayPal,
BEING ABLE TO, LIKE, MAKE
DONATIONS TO THEM.
BUT WikiLeaks -- NO.
>> ANONYMOUS VERY QUICKLY MOVED
INTO AN ATTACK MODE.
>> CYBER PROTESTS, SIT-INS --
HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK AT
IT -- DDoS IS A TOOL THAT IS A
BIG GIANT -- IT'S LIKE DRIVING A
FINISH NAIL IN WITH A
SLEDGEHAMMER.
>> THE NUMBERS OF PARTICIPANTS
WERE MASSIVE -- MASSIVE.
AND THEY MANAGE OVER THE COURSE
OF A COUPLE OF DAYS TO DISABLE
THE WEBSITES OF MasterCard AND
PayPal.
>> IT WAS LIKE WATCHING THE HACK
MAGICIAN FINALLY GET A TRICK
RIGHT, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
EXPECTING IT AND THEN IT'S
MAGNIFICENT.
IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
[ CHUCKLES ]
'CAUSE WHAT YOU HAD IS PEOPLE
FINDING YOU STOOD UP FOR
SOMETHING.
HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE
HAD A HUGE, REALLY RELEVANT
PROTEST.
I'M NOT TALKING TEA PARTY, "I
WANT TO BRING MY GUNS IN
PUBLIC."
I'M TALKING...I'M TALKING 10,000
ANGRY PEOPLE SAID, "THIS IS NOT
RIGHT, AND I WANT TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT."
>> SOON AFTER, WikiLeaks WAS
BLOCKED IN TUNISIA.
AND ANONYMOUS GOT WIND OF THAT.
THEY THEN INTERVENED -- AT
FIRST, SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSES
OF, LIKE, STOPPING THE KIND OF
CENSORSHIP THAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND THEY DID SOME DDoSing.
AND THIS WAS A TIME PERIOD WHERE
THEY WERE GETTING INVOLVED WITH
WHAT I WOULD CALL
"NON-INTERNETY" SOCIAL
MOVEMENTS AND BUILDING LINES OF
SOLIDARITY.
>> MY NAME'S PETE FEIN.
YOU CAN CALL ME AN INTERNAUT OR
A HACKTIVIST.
TELECOMIX IS AN AD HOC CLUSTER
OF VOLUNTEER NET ACTIVISTS WHO
HAVE HAVE SPENT MUCH OF LAST
YEAR TRYING TO KEEP THE INTERNET
RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
DURING THAT TIME, WE SAW THE
TUNISIAN GOVERNMENT NOT ONLY
CENSORING AND FILTERING THE
INTERNET BUT ALSO DOING SOME
KIND OF TECHNICAL TRICKERY TO
STEAL PEOPLE'S FACEBOOK
PASSWORDS AND DELETE THEIR
POSTS AND SEE WHO WAS POSTING
WHAT AND, YOU KNOW, FAKE
POSTS -- STUFF LIKE THAT.
>> SOME TUNISIAN HACKERS CAME TO
US.
THEY WERE MEMBERS OF ANONYMOUS,
AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WE HAD
MEMBERS OF ANONYMOUS IN TUNISIA,
SO IT WAS A SHOCK TO ME.
AND THEY HAD SOME -- THEY HAD
THE KEYS TO SOME PARTS OF THE
KINGDOM, SO TO SPEAK, WHEN IT
CAME TO THE DICTATOR IN TUNISIA.
WE WENT IN ON BEHALF OF THOSE
TUNISIAN ANONS, AND WE HELPED
THEM GET THAT AND EXTRACT IT,
AND THEN IT WENT TO WikiLeaks.
>> THE TUNISIANS OVERTHREW
BEN ALI, WHO WAS KIND OF A
REPRESSIVE DICTATOR.
>> A REVOLUTION THAT WAS
FACILITATED BY -- BY THE
INTERNET, BY FACEBOOK, AND BY
TWITTER.
NOT CAUSED BY IT.
I MEAN, 50 YEARS OF DICTATORSHIP
HAS CAUSED THE ARAB SPRING, BUT
THE INTERNET HAS CERTAINLY BEEN
HELPING.
>> THE SAME GROUP OF HACKERS
THAT TARGET ANTI-WikiLeaks SITES
HAVE NOW TURNED THEIR ATTENTION
TO EGYPT.
>> IN KIND OF THE LEAD-UP TO THE
EGYPTIAN REVOLUTION, WE WOULD
TWEET ON PEOPLE'S BEHALF.
WE'D GET PEOPLE FROM EGYPT WHO
WERE UNABLE TO ACCESS TWITTER ON
THEIR OWN, ON OUR R.C. NETWORK,
AND WE WOULD TAKE REPORTS FROM
THEM AND TWEET THEM OUT USING --
USING OUR ACCOUNT TO KIND OF
HELP THEM GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT
WHAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING.
>> SOME OF THIS SHIT IS
PERSONAL, AND ONE OF THE THINGS
ABOUT THE MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE
WHEN EGYPT ROLLED AROUND IS THAT
EGYPT BROKE US EMOTIONALLY.
WATCHING IN REAL-TIME WITH LIVE
FEEDS THAT WE HELPED SET UP,
EGYPTIANS GETTING MASSACRED WITH
MACHINE GUNS.
IT WAS DIFFERENT, AND I HAVE
NEVER IN CYBER-ACTIVISM WEPT
BEFORE.
IT'S NEVER BOTHERED ME LIKE
THAT.
IT'S NEVER BEEN ABLE TO TOUCH
ME THE WAY EGYPT TOUCHED ME.
>> IT WAS FUCKED UP THAT WE WERE
WATCHING PEOPLE KILLED FOR NO
REASON OTHER THAN LEAVING THEIR
HOMES, THAT THESE PEOPLE HAD
EVERY RIGHT TO FREEDOM, THAT
THEY HAD EVERY RIGHT TO CHOOSE
THEIR GOVERNMENT.
>> AND THEN JANUARY 27th,
JANUARY 28th ROLLS AROUND AND
THE EGYPTIAN GOVERNMENT STARTS
SHUTTING DOWN THE INTERNET.
I MEAN, JUST -- FOR THE WHOLE
COUNTRY, FOR THE WHOLE COUNTRY.
THERE'S THIS FANTASTIC TRAFFIC
GRAPH THAT YOU CAN SEE THE
TRAFFIC COMING OUT EGYPT, AND IT
LOOKS LIKE -- YOU KNOW, LIKE
THIS.
JUST TOTALLY STOPS.
AND WE WERE JUST SHOCKED.
WE WERE JUST LIKE, "WHAT THE
FUCK -- LIKE, WHAT THE FUCK?"
TO THINK THAT A COUNTRY WOULD
COMPLETELY CUT ITSELF OFF AS
MUCH AS IT WAS ABLE TO FROM THE
OUTSIDE WORLD WAS PRETTY
UNTHINKABLE.
YOU KNOW, WE KNOW -- WE KNOW BAD
THINGS GO ON IN THE DARK PLACES.
>> I PUT MYSELF IN THEIR PLACE,
AND I FOUND MYSELF IN A DESERT
OF NOTHINGNESS BECAUSE HE JUST
WIPED OUT EVERYTHING THAT MY
WORLD INCORPORATED.
THAT JUST SHOWED ME AND
EVERYBODY ELSE THAT THIS SAME
THING CAN HAPPEN AT ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE, IN ANY GOVERNMENT.
>> ANONYMOUS AND THE PEOPLE ON
THE INTERNET STOOD UP AND SAID,
"GO FUCK YOURSELF."
YOU WANT TO SHUT DOWN THEIR
INTERNET -- FINE.
THE PEOPLE ON THE INTERNET WILL
SHOW THEM HOW TO TURN IT BACK
ON.
>> IN EGYPT, THE CARE PACKAGE WE
PUT TOGETHER INCLUDED SOME KIND
OF RCom INFORMATION, THE HAM
RADIO AND DIAL MODEM DETAILS.
IN TOTAL, WE HELPED COORDINATE
AND RUN ABOUT 500 DIAL-UP MODEM
LINES.
WE ALSO GOOGLED TREATMENTS FOR
TEAR GAS AND OTHER KIND OF BASIC
MEDICAL TREATMENT AND FOUND
FOLKS WHO COULD TRANSLATE THAT
INTO ARABIC -- SORT OF PUT THIS
TOGETHER IN A NICE ONE-PAGE PDF
AND FAX, AND OFF IT GOES.
>> I THINK THE MOST EFFECTIVE
THING WAS SHUTTING DOWN
GOVERNMENT WEBSITES.
WE'RE TAKING YOUR DICTATOR'S
WEB PAGES DOWN.
>> [ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ]
>> PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK HAS
DECIDED TO STEP DOWN FROM THE
OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE
REPUBLIC.
[ CHEERING ]
>> WE HAD EGYPTIANS COME THANK
US AS WE'RE DOING THIS STUFF,
AND I SAID -- I'M LIKE, "LOOK,
YOU GUYS JUST GET OUR BACK IF
STUFF GOES DOWN HERE."
>> THE FBI IS NOW INVESTIGATING
ANONYMOUS -- A LOOSE COLLECTION
OF ROGUE, TECH-SAVVY HACKERS
CREDITED WITH BRINGING DOWN THE
WEBSITES OF MasterCard AND VISA
LAST DECEMBER.
>> SO, OVER 40 RAIDS BACK THEN,
THEY SEIZE COMPUTERS,
CELLPHONES, AND THOSE KINDS OF
TECHNICAL APPARATUS, SOMETIMES
INCLUDING, IN THE CASE OF THE
19-YEAR-OLD GIRL LIVING WITH HER
FAMILY, THEY TOOK HER PARENTS'
STUFF, TOO.
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A SORT OF
CAT-AND-MOUSE DYNAMIC, NOT JUST
IN RELATION TO THE FEDS BUT ALSO
TO THESE SORT OF GROUPS THAT
HAVE APPOINTED THEMSELVES AS
GUARDIANS OF THE REPUBLIC.
>> SUDDENLY ON FEBRUARY 5th,
A FINANCIAL TIMES ARTICLE COMES
OUT THAT WE ALL SEE.
IT'S QUOTING THIS GUY NAMED
AARON BARR, WHO'S THE C.E.O. OF
HBGary FEDERAL, WHICH IS AN
INTELLIGENCE CONTRACTOR, AND
AARON BARR IS TELLING THIS
FINANCIAL TIMES JOURNALIST
JOSEPH MENN THAT HE'S BEEN
SECRETLY MONITORING THE AnonOps
SERVER, WHERE ALL THIS IS GOING
ON, AND HAS DONE SO FOR SEVERAL
WEEKS, AND USING HIS OWN CUSTOM
BRAND OF INFORMATION-OPERATIONS
TECHNIQUES HAS MANAGED TO
IDENTIFY THE ALLEGED LEADERSHIP
OF ANONYMOUS, INCLUDING 25
"LIEUTENANTS" OF SOME SORT.
>> WE HAVE TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT.
EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW.
WE DON'T NEED TO DESTROY HIM.
WE DON'T NEED TO DESTROY HIS
COMPANY.
WE JUST NEED TO SEE THE
DOCUMENT, AND WE'LL DECIDED WHAT
COMES NEXT AFTER LOOKING AT THE
DOCUMENT.
SO, THEY GET IT.
IT WAS UNBELIEVABLY EASY TO GET
INTO THAT NETWORK.
>> AND MY NAME WAS ON THERE --
AS A SCREEN NAME.
AND GREGG HOUSH WAS LISTED THERE
BY HIS SCREEN NAME.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WHAT
HE TOLD FINANCIAL TIMES WAS --
EVERYTHING HE TOLD THEM WAS
DEMONSTRATIVELY UNTRUE AND VERY
MUCH HILARIOUSLY SO.
>> HE HAD TO BE SHUT UP.
IT HAD TO BE PROVEN TO THE WORLD
THAT THIS GUY WAS A RETARD AND
THAT HIS INFORMATION WAS IN NO
WAY VALID.
>> AND TO PUT THAT IN HACKER
TERMS, ANONYMOUS IS A HORNET'S
NEST AND BARR SAID, "I'M GONNA
STICK MY PENIS IN THAT THING."
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> IN A MERE 24 HOURS, HE WAS
OWNED, PWNED COMPLETELY BY A
SMALL GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS WHO
BASICALLY WENT ON A HACKING
RAMPAGE.
>> FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY, "GET
THESE HORNETS OFF MY PENIS,"
ANONYMOUS TOOK DOWN BARR'S
WEBSITE, STOLE HIS E-MAIL,
DELETED THE COMPANY'S BACKUP
DATA, TRASHED HIS TWITTER
ACCOUNT, AND REMOTELY WIPED HIS
iPad.
[ LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE ]
AND HE HAD JUST REACHED THE
"HAM 'EM HIGH" LEVEL ON
"ANGRY BIRDS."
[ LAUGHTER ]
>> THE HBGary HACK BROUGHT ABOUT
70,000 E-MAILS.
>> PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT
ONES HAD TO DO WITH A PROPOSAL
THAT HBGary HAD ALREADY
FORMULATED.
IT WAS PACKAGED UP AS A NICE
PowerPoint PRESENTATION.
KIND OF ACT AS PRIVATIZED AGENT
PROVOCATEURS WHERE THEY WERE
GONNA DISCREDIT WikiLeaks.
>> HBGary WAS PROPOSING
SUBMITTING FAKE DOCUMENTS TO
WikiLeaks AND THEN, WHEN
DISCOVERED AS FAKE, THE ERROR
COULD BE CALLED OUT AND IT WOULD
DISCREDIT WikiLeaks.
>> SO, THERE'S A LOT OF, LIKE,
SPECIFICS I CAN'T TALK ABOUT, SO
LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THAT,
THOUGH, IN A GENERAL SENSE.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M -- IT'S
PROBABLY NO SURPRISE TO ANYBODY
I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF WikiLeaks.
I THINK THAT THE BROAD PURPOSE
OF TRYING TO GET AS MUCH
INFORMATION -- PROPRIETARY OR
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION FOR THE
GOVERNMENT -- EXPOSE THAT, IS AN
EXTREMELY DESTRUCTIVE AND
DANGEROUS PURPOSE.
>> THE PROPOSALS INVOLVED
CONDUCTING INFORMATION WAR ON
WikiLeaks AND ITS SUPPORTERS,
CREATING DISSENSION WITHIN
WikiLeaks, DDoS ATTACKS.
>> YOU ALSO WANTED TO LAUNCH
CYBER ATTACKS ON WikiLeaks
INFRASTRUCTURE TO GET
INFORMATION ON DOCUMENT
SUBMITTERS.
>> ONE THING, I GUESS, I WANT TO
MAKE SURE IS CLEAR IS...
NONE OF THOSE ACTIVITIES HAD
ACTUALLY OCCURRED.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S -- IN
BUSINESS, THERE'S...YOU KNOW,
WHEN YOU START PROPOSING OR
THINKING ABOUT AN IDEA, THERE'S
A BRAINSTORMING PHASE.
AND SOMEBODY SAYS, "WELL, WHAT
IF, YOU KNOW -- WHAT COULD WE
DO?
WHAT'S THEORETICALLY POSSIBLE?"
>> WELL, STILL, THIS WAS AN
IDEA.
THIS WAS PROPOSED.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU
THOUGHT ABOUT.
>> RIGHT.
>> THEY ALSO WANTED TO GO ON A
CAMPAIGN KIND OF TARGETING
GLENN GREENWALD, WHO'S A
REPORTER FOR SALON, WHO'S AN
OUTSPOKEN KIND OF CRITIC OF THE
GOVERNMENT AND SUPPORTER OF
WikiLeaks.
>> IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING
TO ATTACK A JOURNALIST HERE.
>> YEAH, AND I, YOU KNOW -- I
DON'T WANT TO TALK TOO MUCH MORE
ABOUT GLENN GREENWALD, BUT OTHER
THAN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I
PREVIOUSLY SAID IS, YOU KNOW --
THERE WAS NEVER AN INTENT TO
ATTACK...JOURNALISTS.
NOT ON MY PART.
YOU KNOW...I GUESS I SHOULD
SAY -- I SHOULD GENERALIZE THAT
AND TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I
WOULD NEVER JUST OUTWARDLY
ATTACK A JOURNALIST OTHER THAN
IF I FELT THAT THERE WAS A
JOURNALIST, IN MY MIND, THAT WAS
ACTING UNETHICALLY.
THAT'S A FAIR GAME FOR HAVING A
PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT IT.
>> THEY WERE WALKING A VERY FINE
ETHICAL LINE AT POINTS, AND, IN
MANY CASES, THE MASS OPINION IS,
"NO, THEY STEPPED WELL PAST IT."
>> I WILL NOT SUPPORT BROAD
THEFT OF -- OF INFORMATION
RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC 'CAUSE
THAT'S NOTHING BUT DESTRUCTIVE.
IF SOMEBODY HAS INFORMATION
THAT'S BEEN STOLEN FROM THEM,
AND WHETHER OR NOT WikiLeaks
ENCOURAGED THE THEFT OF THAT OR
WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS JUST PUT
IN THEIR LAP -- STILL,
THEY'RE -- THEY'RE THREATENING
TO RELEASE THE INFORMATION THAT
WAS THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OF
ANOTHER ORGANIZATION.
SO, YOUR CHOICES ARE TO JUST
ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN OR TO TRY
TO STOP IT.
HOW OFFENSIVE IS TOO OFFENSIVE?
YOU KNOW, WE'VE CERTAINLY SEEN A
LOT OF STRATEGY COMING OUT OF
GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE WORLD
NOW, SAYING, YOU KNOW --
PUBLICLY ADMITTING THAT THEY
NEED TO BECOME -- THEY NEED TO
DEVELOP BETTER OFFENSIVE
STRATEGIES IN CYBER SECURITY,
BECAUSE DEFENSE AS A WHOLE ISN'T
ENOUGH.
IT NEVER IS ENOUGH.
>> IN THE COURT OF PUBLIC
OPINION THAT TOOK HBGary QUICKLY
FROM BEING A PERCEIVED VICTIM TO
BEING A PERCEIVED VILLAIN
THEMSELVES.
IT WAS BECOMING HARDER AND
HARDER TO DISTINGUISH THE GOOD
GUYS FROM THE BAD GUYS.
>> HBGary CHANGED ANONYMOUS...
AS TREMENDOUSLY AS OPTUNISIA
DID.
AND WITHIN ESSENTIALLY A MONTH
OF EACH OTHER, THESE TWO EVENTS
WERE TOTALLY FORMATIVE FOR THE
COLLECTIVE.
OPTUNISIA WAS WHERE IT GOT ITS
MORAL COMPASS AND ITS SENSE THAT
IT COULD AFFECT THE WORLD.
HBGary IS WHERE IT GOT ITS
SWAGGER.
>> GEORGE HOTZ MADE IT POSSIBLE
FOR PlayStation TO RUN
HOMEBREWED SOFTWARE, WHICH ALSO
LETS YOU RUN PIRATED SOFTWARE.
>> YO! IT'S G.O. HOT.
AND FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW,
I'M GETTING SUED BY SONY.
>> SO, SONY WENT AFTER HIM,
CLAIMING IT WAS A DMCA
VIOLATION.
>> THEY JUST KIND OF MASS-LAWYER
NASTYGRAMMED HIM AND SHUT HIM
DOWN AND DID SUE HIM.
HE SETTLED.
AND THE RESPONSE TO THAT WAS
IMMEDIATE AND BRUTAL.
>> SONY HAS CONFIRMED THAT
HACKERS BROKE INTO ITS
PlayStation NETWORK, EXPOSING
THE PERSONAL INFORMATION OF UP
TO 77 MILLION USERS WORLDWIDE.
>> OVER THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT
MONTHS, THEY WERE HACKED OVER 20
TIMES.
THERE'S NO EVIDENCE THAT
ANONYMOUS WAS ANYWHERE NEAR THE
MAJORITY OF THE HACKS.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT
CAPTURED SO MUCH OF THE MEDIA
IMAGINATION WHEN ANONYMOUS DID
IT, AS OPPOSED TO WHEN OTHER
PEOPLE DID IT, IS BECAUSE THEY
WERE LOUD AND BOMBASTIC, AND
THEY HAD A GREAT IMAGE YOU COULD
THROW ON THE TOP OF YOUR
ARTICLE, AND THEY MADE
STATEMENTS THAT, WHEN YOU'RE
CONSTRUCTING A STORY, YOU JUST
CAN'T RESIST.
>> AND THEN, KIND OF SEEMINGLY
OUT OF THE BLUE, THERE WAS
SOMETHING BY THE NAME LulzSec
THAT SAILED INTO THE SEAS.
>> LulzSec -- IT'S A SORT OF A
GROUP, MOSTLY FROM ANONYMOUS,
WHO -- LARGE PART OF THE SAME
PEOPLE WHO HACKED HBGary.
AND THEY DECIDED TO FORM THIS
LITTLE GROUP AND CARRY ON
OPERATIONS OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW
OF ANONYMOUS FOR AWHILE.
>> LulzSec TRIED TO SAY IT
WASN'T ANONYMOUS FOR AWHILE.
THEY TRIED TO DIVIDE ITSELF OFF.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE BOUGHT IT
FOR A MINUTE.
THERE WAS NO WAY THAT LulzSec
WAS NOT ANONYMOUS, BUT THE
MAJORITY OF TIME, THE MAJORITY
OF ANONS WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING
PARTICULARLY ILLEGAL.
WHEN THEY ARE, A HUGE NUMBER OF
THEM TRY TO DO THAT IN A VERY
SPECIFIC POLITICAL CONTEXT.
FOR THOSE PEOPLE, WHAT LulzSec
WAS DOING -- THEY WERE FUNNY BUT
THEY WERE ATTACKING RANDOM
TARGETS.
THEY WERE BREAKING THE
QUASI-RULES BY ATTACKING MEDIA.
>> THERE WAS A LOT OF
IN-FIGHTING ABOUT IT BECAUSE
THEIR WAY, YOU KNOW, WASN'T
REALLY OUR WAY.
WE WILL NOT ATTACK THE MEDIA.
>> PBS's "FRONTLINE" RUNS A
DOCUMENTARY MAINLY FOCUSED ON
BRADLEY MANNING, THE ALLEGED
LEAKER TO WikiLeaks, AND A LOT
OF BRADLEY MANNING SUPPORTERS
DIDN'T LIKE IT.
>> THEY HACKED THE WEBSITE,
PUTTING A STORY THAT 2PAC AND
BIGGIE HAD KIND OF ESCAPED THE
WORLD OF CELEBRITY, FAME, AND
ATTENTION AND RETIRED QUIETLY
AND DISCREETLY IN NEW ZEALAND.
>> LulzSec, WHEN THEY ATTACKED
PBS, YOU KNOW, THAT GAVE ME THE
CREEPS, YOU KNOW.
AS A JOURNALIST, I'M NOT TOO
THRILLED WITH THE IDEA OF
SOMEONE JUDGING THAT, "WE DON'T
LIKE YOU TO WRITE THAT.
WE DON'T LIKE YOUR REPORTING, SO
WE'RE GONNA SHUT DOWN YOUR
WEBSITE."
I'M UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
IT COULD BE ME, AND I COULD BE
WRITING SOMETHING ABOUT A GROUP
THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SIT AND TALK
WITH THEM ABOUT IT, BUT, YOU
KNOW, DON'T SHUT MY WEBSITE
DOWN.
>> HACKTIVISM STARTED TO
BECOME...SORT OF...I WOULD SAY
ALMOST MORE NASTY, USING, YOU
KNOW, SORT OF MORE
NO-HOLDS-BARRED KIND OF
ATTACKS -- SORT OF MORE VICIOUS
ATTACKS.
>> LulzSec ADDS THIS DIMENSION
OF BOMBASTIC LAWBREAKING TO
ANONYMOUS.
FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOCUSED
ON THINGS LIKE THE FREEDOMOPS,
WHO WANT ANONYMOUS TO BE A WAY
OF STANDING UP TO THE POWERS
THAT BE, THIS IS DILUTING AND
POSSIBLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO
THEIR PROJECT IN ANONYMOUS.
>> YOU CAN TRY TO MAKE A CASE
FOR CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND FOR,
YOU MIGHT CALL IT, CROWD-SOURCED
INVESTIGATIONS USING
SOMETIMES ILLEGAL MEANS.
IT'S HARD TO KEEP MAKING THAT
CASE, IT'S HARD TO MAINTAIN THAT
CASE WHEN YOU HAVE THESE PEOPLE
FROM THE MOVEMENT...
FUCKING WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW,
JUST FUCKING WITH PEOPLE.
>> THEY SORT OF SAW THEMSELVES
AS GOING OUT THERE AND BREAKING
INTO, LIKE, ANYTHING,
EVERYTHING -- GOVERNMENT,
CORPORATIONS, POLICE
DEPARTMENTS -- LARGELY FOR THE
SAME REASON THAT ANONYMOUS
WOULD.
THEY WENT AFTER ARIZONA FOR
IMMIGRATION POLICY.
50-DAY RUN CAUSING MAYHEM,
HAVOC -- AND THEN ENDED IT.
>> THE COMPUTER HACKING GROUP
LulzSecurity HAS ANNOUNCED IT'S
DISBANDING, SAYING IT HAD
ACHIEVED ITS MISSION TO DISRUPT
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE
ORGANIZATIONS FOR FUN.
>> I CALL THIS WHOLE THING THE
RISE OF THE CHAOTIC ACTOR.
AND CHAOTIC COULD BE CHAOTIC
GOOD, NEUTRAL, OR EVIL.
AND IF YOU GO BACK TO THE OLD
"DUNGEONS & DRAGONS" CHARTS --
AND SOME PEOPLE SEE IT ON OPS
INITIALLY AND WILL STICK WITH
ANONYMOUS AS CHAOTIC GOOD.
THEY SAW OPERATION PAYBACK OR
THEY SAW ATTACKING SCIENTOLOGY,
AND THEY SAY, "THAT'S GOOD.
IT'S LIKE ROBIN HOOD, RIGHT?"
CHAOTIC GOOD -- OUTSIDE THE
SYSTEM BUT DOING SOMETHING GOOD.
OTHER PEOPLE SAW ANON AS CHAOTIC
EVIL LIKE THE JOKER.
THEY JUST WANT TO SEE THE WORLD
BURN AND ARE DOING POTENTIALLY
IRREPARABLE DAMAGE.
AND THE TRUTH IS, YES, IT'S THE
ENTIRE COLUMN OF CHAOTIC.
I'M ACTUALLY A LITTLE LESS
CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE
THINGS LulzSec HAS DONE AND MORE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE NEXT
GENERATION OF LulzSec, THE NEXT
TURN OF THE CRANK OF "WHO TAKES
IT FURTHER OR IS MORE
AGGRESSIVE?"
WHOEVER FIGHTS MONSTERS, YOU
KNOW, SHOULD SEE TO IT THAT THEY
DON'T THEMSELVES BECOME ONE.
>> SABU WAS PROBABLY THE MOST
FAMOUS ANON WHO MANAGED TO KIND
OF REMAIN FAMOUS FOR AWHILE.
SOMEBODY WHO GETS FAMOUS IN ANON
GENERALLY GETS PUNISHED VERY
HARSHLY BY ANONYMOUS.
BUT SABU MANAGED TO AVOID THAT A
FEW WAYS.
I MEAN, HE WAS A CONTROVERSIAL
FIGURE -- INCREDIBLY
CONTROVERSIAL FIGURE -- INSIDE
OF ANONYMOUS.
HE WAS BOMBASTIC.
HE WAS THUGGISH.
BUT HE WAS ALSO VERY GOOD AT
MENTORING AND ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
AND GIVING THEM PERMISSION TO
TRY THINGS.
AND THAT WAS, I THINK, ONE OF
THE MOST PIVOTAL THINGS ABOUT
SABU'S ROLE.
AND IT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE
ABSOLUTELY SOUL-CRUSHING LEVEL
OF BETRAYAL...WHEN IT WAS
REVEALED THAT SABU WAS WORKING
FOR THE FBI.
THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE WHO
CANNOT LET GO OF THE IDEA THAT
HE WAS SOMEHOW ON THEIR SIDE,
THAT SOMEHOW HE HAD TO HAVE BEEN
WORKING AGAINST THE FBI TO HELP
THEM -- NO MATTER HOW MUCH IS
REVEALED.
BUT HE HAD BETRAYED THE
COLLECTIVE.
IT DEVASTATED EVERYONE THAT HE
HAD TOUCHED.
>> HUGH DAVIES.
I'M AN INDEPENDENT BARRISTER.
AMONGST THE CASES I'M WORKING ON
AT THE MOMENT ARE THE LulzSec
BASE PROSECUTION.
I CAN'T COMMENT ON SABU, BUT
WITH CYBER CRIMINALS, WHATEVER
THEIR MOTIVATION, IT MAY NOT BE
PERSONAL PROFIT, BUT IT IS A
VERY STRONG, SOMETIMES
DESTRUCTIVE MOTIVE SIMPLY FOR
THOSE WITH WHOM THEY DISAGREE.
IN CRIMINAL TERMS, IT'S
VANDALISM.
ONE HAS TO BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL
THAT ONE PERSON'S EXERCISE OF
FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS NOT AT THE
EXPENSE OF SOME OTHER QUITE
LEGITIMATE ORGANIZATION'S EQUAL
RIGHT TO HAVE A LAWFUL WEBSITE
OPERATING, AVAILABLE TO THE
PUBLIC IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
AND SIMPLY TAKING OUT LAWFUL
WEBSITES 'CAUSE YOU DISAGREE
WITH THEM IS AN EROSION OF
FREEDOM OF SPEECH RATHER THAN
EXTENDING IT.
>> REALLY, AS POWERFUL AS THEY
SEEM TO BE, LulzSec AND
ANONYMOUS ARE REALLY SMALL
POTATOES COMPARED TO THE BIGGER
OPERATIONS THAT ARE GOING ON
THAT WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT, MAYBE
OPERATIONS FUNDED BY
GOVERNMENTS.
>> THE CRIMINAL HACKERS -- THIS
IS NOT SOME LONE IDIOT, YOU
KNOW, HUNKERED DOWN LIKE
BEAVIS OR BUTT-HEAD, CACKLING AT
MIDNIGHT OVER HIS COMPUTER.
THERE ARE A FEW OF THOSE BUT
IT'S ORGANIZED.
THERE ARE AD HOC CONTRACT
WORKERS.
IT COMES OUT OF RUSSIA, COMES
OUT OF ROMANIA, COMES OUT OF
IRAN -- COMES OUT OF WHEREVER.
BUT THEY WORK ON BEHALF OF THE
USUAL CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES
>> THE COMPUTER-SECURITY
INDUSTRY HAS JUST BEEN GROWING
AND GROWING AND GROWING OVER THE
LAST, YOU KNOW, 10, 15 YEARS.
THERE'S $10 BILLION COMPANIES IN
THE COMPUTER-SECURITY INDUSTRY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TOTAL
MARKET CAP IS, BUT IT'S
CERTAINLY IN THE BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS.
BLACK HAT, WHEN I FIRST STARTED
COMING, LIKE 15 YEARS AGO, THERE
WAS, LIKE, 500 PEOPLE.
AND THERE'S 8,500 PEOPLE TODAY.
SO, EVERY YEAR, MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE COME TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT
ARE THE ATTACKS.
COMPANIES COME TO, YOU KNOW,
SELL NEW PRODUCTS.
AND THE GOVERNMENT IS COMING,
SAYING, "WE WANT TO RECRUIT
YOU TO COME BE OUR NEW CYBER
WARRIORS."
>> THE KIND OF THING THAT DRIVES
PEOPLE TO SOMETHING LIKE
ANONYMOUS IS THAT SENSE THAT
THEIR GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO
WATCH THEM EVERY MOMENT OF THE
DAY AND, IN AMERICA, OUR
GOVERNMENT IS KIND OF WATCHING
US ALL THE TIME.
LIKE, WE NOW KNOW THAT WITH THE
WARRANTLESS WIRETAPPING.
YOU KNOW, WE LIVE UNDER CONSTANT
CCTVs.
WE HAVE THAT SENSE THAT NOT ONLY
ARE WE BEING TRACKED, BUT IT'S
ABOUT TO GET A LOT WORSE.
THE NSA HAS EMBRACED DOMESTIC
SPYING.
THEY'RE BUILDING A GIANT
SPY CENTER IN UTAH.
AND THE ONLY THING -- THE ONLY
THING -- THAT EVEN GIVES THEM
PAUSE IS ENCRYPTION.
ANONYMOUS GIVES PEOPLE A WAY TO
EXIST OUTSIDE OF THIS SYSTEM.
>> THERE'S A CERTAIN ONLINE
CULTURE THAT BELIEVES IN CERTAIN
VALUES LIKE FREEDOM OF
EXPRESSION.
THEY'RE AGAINST CORRUPTION.
THEY'RE AGAINST GOVERNMENTS
CONTROLLING THEIR CITIZENS.
AND WHEN THEY SEE THOSE VALUES
HARMED IN SOME WAY BY SOME
ORGANIZATION, THE HACKTIVISTS
STRIKE BACK.
>> 16 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED
TODAY.
>> DOZENS OF FBI AGENTS TARGETED
ALLEGED MEMBERS OF A LOOSE-KNIT
HACKING GROUP.
ARMED WITH SEARCH WARRANTS,
AGENTS HIT SIX HOMES IN
NEW YORK, ALONG WITH LOCATIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> THE PEOPLE ARRESTED YESTERDAY
WERE SUSPECTED OF ATTACKING
PayPal's WEBSITE AFTER THE
COMPANY SHUT OFF PAYMENTS TO
WikiLeaks.
>> DEFENDERS OF THE HACKERS SAY
THEY'RE MERELY ENGAGED IN CIVIL
PROTEST, BUT FBI OFFICIALS WORRY
THE DISRUPTIVE CYBER ATTACKS
COULD MOVE IN A MORE DANGEROUS
DIRECTION.
>> SO, THE FBI SHOWS UP.
IT'S 6:00 IN THE MORNING, AND IT
WAS REALLY OBNOXIOUS.
AND I REMEMBER BEING FRUSTRATED
AND ANGRY BECAUSE THERE WAS
NOTHING THAT I HAD DONE THAT
WOULD HAVE JUSTIFIED AN FBI
SEARCH WARRANT.
>> THEY CAME AND...GUNS BLAZING
AND ALL THIS OTHER GOOD STUFF --
BUSTED DOWN THE DOOR.
I IMMEDIATELY JUST DROPPED DOWN
ON THE FLOOR, 180.
I WASN'T TRYING TO FIGHT NOBODY.
>> THE THEORY OF THE CASE IS
THEY WERE, YOU KNOW -- THEY
FLOODED -- "A NUMBER OF PEOPLE
FLOODED ACCESS TO PayPal,
THEREBY CREATING ECONOMIC
DISTRESS TO A PROTECTED
CORPORATION."
END OF STORY.
THIS ISN'T -- THIS IS NOT A CASE
INVOLVING IDENTITY THEFT,
INVOLVING OUTING E-MAILS,
INVOLVING VIOLATING PRIVILEGE,
INVOLVING THEFT OF SERVICES,
INVOLVING, YOU KNOW, SHUTTING
DOWN BUSINESS.
IT IS A PURE CASE OF INTERNET OR
CYBER SIT-INS.
I THINK WHEN BARRACK OBAMA GETS
ON TELEVISION AND SAYS, "FLOOD
THE SWITCHBOARD, SHUT DOWN THE
REPUBLICANS, SEND THE
MESSAGE" -- THAT'S LEGAL.
AND EVEN IF YOU ACCEPT WHAT THE
THEORY OF THIS PROSECUTION IS,
IT'S NO DIFFERENT.
THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC SIT-IN AT
ITS FINEST.
>> SO, WHAT I'M FACING IS A
FELONY -- 15 YEARS IN FEDERAL
PRISON AND A $250,000 FINE.
IF YOU'RE A PEDOPHILE, THE
AVERAGE IS 11 YEARS.
THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GO MOLEST
CHILDREN AND GET LESS OF A
SENTENCE THAN YOU WOULD FOR
BREAKING INTO SOMEONE'S PHONE.
>> IF YOU -- EVEN IF YOU ACCEPT
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SAYING IS
TRUE, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT
PEOPLE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE
PROCESS.
IT IS VERY MUCH THE PROCESS.
IT IS SITTING IN AT A COUNTER IN
SELMA, ALABAMA, 500 FREEDOM
RIDERS REFUSING TO ALLOW PEOPLE
TO GO SIT IN AT A SEGREGATED
LUNCH COUNTER.
THEY WRITE BOOKS ABOUT THAT
STUFF.
IT IS DEMONSTRATING AT A STREET
CORNER SAYING NO TO A WAR.
IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT -- IT'S
JUST A DIFFERENT VEHICLE.
IT'S THE SAME RESULT.
>> YOU KNOW, I WOULD NEVER
COMPARE MYSELF TO PEOPLE LIKE
GANDHI OR
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, BUT THEY
WERE ONE PERSON, AND THEY WERE
WILLING TO GO OUT AND CHANGE THE
WORLD.
AND THEIR MESSAGES LIVE ON EVERY
DAY THROUGH EVERYBODY.
AND TO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE OF
HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO DO
IS FOOLISH.
>> I ONLY WISH WE HAD 50 MILLION
MERCEDES HAEFER.
I'D FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE
AS A GUY GETTING TOWARDS THE
TAIL END OF HIS CAREER IF THERE
WERE MORE MERCEDES.
>> THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE LEGAL
CONSEQUENCE WHEN YOU DECIDE TO
BREAK THE LAW.
THAT COMES WITH THE TERRITORY.
AND IT WOULD BE NAIVE NOT TO
EXPECT THAT.
THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THE
PUNISHMENT WILL BE PROPORTIONAL
TO THE CRIME.
AND I SUSPECT IT MIGHT NOT BE.
PEOPLE WILL BE WATCHING VERY
CLOSELY TO SEE HOW THESE CASES
PROCEED ON WHAT GROUNDS AND
WHETHER THERE'S ANY ROOM DURING
THE TRIALS TO THINK ESPECIALLY
OF THE DENIAL-OF-SERVICE ATTACKS
AS A LEGITIMATE FORM OF PROTEST.
SO MUCH OF OUR LIVES ARE NOW
CONFIGURED AT LEAST IN PART ON
THE INTERNET, SO WE BETTER START
THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CLAIM
PARTS OF THE INTERNET AS SPACES
THAT WE CAN ALSO PROTEST.
>> THIS IS THE POINT IN HISTORY
AT WHICH YOU DECIDE WHETHER OR
NOT PROTESTING IS POSSIBLE
ONLINE.
YOU CAN STAND UP, AND YOU CAN
SAY FREEDOM OF SPEECH EXTENDS TO
ONLINE.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO NOT BE
MONITORED BY OUR GOVERNMENT
BECAUSE OF OUR OPINIONS.
IT'S UP TO YOU.
>> YOU'RE IN THE POSITION OF
HUCK FINN.
DO YOU REMEMBER HUCK FINN AT THE
END OF THE BOOK?
HE'S TOLD HE'S GOT TO TAKE THAT
SLAVE AND GIVE IT BACK.
TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN IF HE
DOESN'T.
ONE -- LEGALLY, HE'LL GO TO
JAIL, AS JIM IS PROPERTY.
TWO -- HE'LL BE DAMNED ETERNALLY
AND BURN IN HELLFIRE 'CAUSE HE'S
IN AN EVANGELICAL ENVIRONMENT IN
MISSOURI.
AND HUCK SMOKES HIS CORNCOB PIPE
ALL NIGHT, THINKS ABOUT IT.
AND NEXT MORNING, HE SAYS,
"WELL, DAMN IT, I'LL GO TO HELL,
THEN."
IN OTHER WORDS, HE DISCOVERED
THAT IN ORDER TO BE AN EXPERT AT
ETHICS, YOU HAD TO TRANSCEND THE
LEGAL AND SANCTIONED RELIGIOUS
APPROPRIATE TRUTHS OF THE DAY IN
ORDER TO ACCESS THE META TRUTH
OF BOTH LEGALITY AND
RIGHTEOUSNESS.
WELL, HACKERS SEE THEMSELVES AS
HUCK PUTTING DOWN THAT CORNCOB
PIPE AND SAYING, "ALL RIGHT,
I'LL GO TO JAIL.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL GO TO HELL.
BUT I'M GONNA DO THE RIGHT
THING."
>> I SUPPOSE THE QUESTION YOU
REALLY WANT TO ASK IS, WOULD I
DO IT AGAIN?
AND HONESTLY, AFTER THINKING
ABOUT IT, I FELT THAT I DID WHAT
WAS RIGHT.
I HAD A BELIEF -- I STILL DO --
THAT WHAT I DID WAS THE RIGHT
THING.
AND HOPEFULLY SOMEONE GOT SOME
GOOD OUT OF IT.
YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO THINK THAT
MAYBE I STOPPED SOMEONE FROM
JOINING A CULT, YOU KNOW.
PROBABLY WOULDN'T TELL ON MYSELF
NEXT TIME, BUT, YOU KNOW, I
DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE CHANGED
A SINGLE THING OTHER THAN THE
WHOLE "TALKING TO THE FBI"
THING.
>> JUST THAT LITTLE DETAIL.
>> YEAH, JUST THE LITTLE DETAIL
THAT KIND OF CHANGED EVERYTHING.
YEAH.
>> I'M ANGRY.
OCCASIONALLY, I HAVE SMALL
BREAKDOWN MOMENTS OF TERROR.
BUT I HAVEN'T STOPPED BELIEVING
WHAT I BELIEVE.
I HAVEN'T STOPPED WANTING TO
FIGHT.
I HAVEN'T STOPPED CARING.
SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS
LIKE!
>> All: THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY
LOOKS LIKE!
>> SHOW ME WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS
LIKE!
WE GOT SOLD OUT!
>> I DON'T THINK THIS WHOLE
ISSUE IS A TECHNICAL HACKING
THING.
THIS IS MORE ABOUT HUMAN
PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY,
WHAT'S MOTIVATING US, WHY IS
THERE SO MUCH UNREST OR
DISENFRANCHISEMENT OR ANGER THAT
WOULD LEAD PEOPLE TO WANT TO
TAKE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN
HANDS AND JOIN THEM.
WHETHER YOU THINK IT'S BAD OR
NOT IS IRRELEVANT.
IT'S NOT GOING AWAY.
>> I HAVE STOOD UPON THE
MOUNTAINTOP KNOWN AS ANONYMOUS
AND LOOKED DOWN ON A WORLD
ENFLAMED WITH REVOLUTION.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
YOUR SPINE TINGLES WHEN YOU'RE
AT THE CUSP OF HISTORY.
WHEN YOU'RE SURFING, YOU KNOW,
THE WAVES OF HISTORY, YOUR SPINE
TINGLES.
>> DESCENT HAS A FACE NOW.
IT HAS AN AESTHETIC.
THERE'S THIS PACKAGE IT CAN PICK
UP AND PUT ON ANYWHERE IN THE
WORLD FOR ANY CAUSE IT WANTS.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S GONNA BE
TERRIBLE, AND SOMETIMES IT'S
GOING TO BE WONDERFUL.
ONE THING I CAN KIND OF PROMISE
IS THAT IT'S GONNA BE
INTERESTING.
IT'S RARE IN HISTORY THAT NEW
THINGS HAPPEN, BUT I THINK THIS
IS ONE OF THEM.
>> IF YOU HAVE POWER IN REAL
LIFE AND YOU HAVE MONEY IN REAL
LIFE, YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T
FUCKING MATTER ON THE INTERNET.
WHAT MATTERS ON THE INTERNET IS
YOUR ACTUAL IDEAS, YOU KNOW, HOW
SMART YOU ARE, THE QUALITY OF
YOU.
AND WHEN CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS
THAT, YOU KNOW -- THEY WANT TO
EXTEND THEIR REAL-LIFE POWER
ONTO THE INTERNET, IT'S NOT
GONNA FUCKING TAKE BECAUSE OF
ANONYMOUS.
>> I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A
DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN OR AN
INDEPENDENT OR IF YOU LIKE
RON PAUL OR IF YOU WORSHIP
PIGEONS OR SCIENTOLOGY OR IF
YOU'RE CATHOLIC OR ATHEIST OR
METHODIST.
I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT.
YOUR OPINION MATTERS.
I DON'T CARE IF I DISAGREE WITH
IT.
I DON'T CARE IF I HATE YOUR
GUTS.
YOUR OPINION MATTERS.
>> IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY
FURTHER ACTION?
I MEAN, DOES ANONYMOUS INTEND TO
PROVE THAT THEY CAN, IN FACT,
MANIPULATE THE WESTBORO BAPTIST
CHURCH NETWORK OF WEBSITES?
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT GOING
FORWARD, ANONYMOUS?
>> ACTUALLY, I'M WORKING ON THAT
RIGHT NOW.
>> HE'S WORKING ON THAT RIGHT
NOW!
OH, YAY.
>> SO, HOLD ON.
I AM GETTING A THUMBS UP FROM MY
PRODUCER THAT THERE HAS BEEN A
MESSAGE POSTED THAT APPEARS TO
BE FROM ANONYMOUS ON downloads.
westborobaptistchurch.com.
ANONYMOUS, ARE YOU TAKING
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS?
>> YEP.
WE JUST DID IT RIGHT NOW THIS
VERY SECOND.
>> THAT IS SO SPECIAL.
THAT'S SO SPECIAL.