Imagine a group of people, masked and unnamed, with questionable morals and tactics, attacking organizations that they deem nefarious. It sounds like something out of a Batman movie, like a consortium of crime-fighting vigilantes trying to save the world.
The group described isn’t a superhero organization. There was never a “you’re wondering why I gathered you all here today” moment, and none of them wear capes.
The ‘hacktivist’ organization, Anonymous, is a nameless group of skilled Internet hackers, intent on taking down the websites of other establishments. They’ve created chat rooms for Tunisian protesters, spammed the Westborough Baptist Church’s homepage, and exposed infamous child pornographer websites so that they could be shut down.
The international hacktivist group isn’t always on the right side of the law. Smug and arrogant, Anonymous members frequently break security laws without a second thought. From leaving rude messages for their targets to threatening major websites like Fox News, Anonymous has the entirety of the World Wide Web at their fingertips.
Essentially, they are hardcore Internet trolls.
But is fighting fire with fire really the solution?
Internet hacktivism is, in principle, an illegal way to combat crime. Is it hypocritical for Anonymous to use this dishonest method to usurp the legal system and employ their own form of justice?
At the same time, however, Anonymous is making a difference. Without the illicit endeavors of these hackers, so many terrible organizations would still be up and running, with the rest of the world completely oblivious.
So perhaps these mysterious hacktivists are the good guys. Despite their debatable ethics and frightening abilities,
Anonymous continues to expose worldwide problems, occasionally solving them. Maybe it’s best to reserve judgment on these criminal masterminds who’ve taken to watching over the world.