Anonymous: The Voice of the People - Research Paper Example

Anonymous: The voice of the people Introduction Anonymous is a group in the internet known for its behavior in hacking into websites of different companies. The Anonymous Hackers group started in 2003. Their main goal was to promote freedom. The Anonymous have been known to take down websites that they believe to be doing illegal activities. For example, they took down argumentative websites. Whenever the Anonymous group is in public, they wear the Vendetta masks. They have an ongoing campaign called “operation payback.” This paper will clearly and critically discuss the Hacker group called “Anonymous,” who they are, what they do, and why they do the things they do. Initially they did it for fun but lately it appears to be a serious activity (Pau 7l). The Anonymous Hackers group and their activities In many ways, the Anonymous hackers group has been considered to be an illegal group that tempers with people’s privacy in their computers. In spite of these, the Anonymous hacker group can be considered as a group that fights for peoples writes by confronting companies that do illegal things especially against the public that no one else would dare. It was reported that the Anonymous hackers threatened a couple of companies. For example, they threatened to reveal secrets about the Zetas drug group. This is a drug group that is known for kidnapping, drug trafficking, murder, terrorism and many more illegal activities. The anonymous group, in that case, is not just a hacking group, but also a group that has the public interest at heart. It is a surprise that this group that deals with drugs, kidnapping, murder and child trafficking, which are all illegal activities, is known, yet no one has taken the initiative to investigate it apart from the Anonymous hackers group who have confronted them. Instead of the FBI and other government bodies seeing this group as an illegal one, it is time, they opened their eyes and see the positive things this group has been doing. The Anonymous Hackers in another occasion threatened to attack Face book. Face book is a site on the internet where people get to communicate, chat and make new friends. The anonymous hackers group clearly stated that their main reason for wanting to attack face book was because there was no privacy. People have a habit of posting almost anything on the face book site, regardless of whether it is morally acceptable or not. The step the anonymous group is planning to take is a relevant one because this would help people be cautious of the things they post on a public site, it will help boost morality. Instead, people in the government are busy looking for reasons to bring this group down, they should think twice since all this group seems to be doing is to fight for the rights of the civilians (Apro113). In another incident, the anonymous Hackers group announced their plans to fight child sites that deal with child pornography. They accused a website known as, “freedom hosting” for entertaining child pornography knowingly. Child pornography deals with images or writings that involve a child in sexual acts. It was stated that the Anonymous Hackers group ordered freedom hosting, and other web sites, which are involved in child pornography, to shut down their sites. This is a very important and positive step taken by the Anonymous Hackers group since child pornography is an illegal activity. Through this, the Anonymous Hackers group is doing not only the public a favor, but also the government by trying to bring an ending to these illegal activities through bringing down these illegal companies. They are helping fight for the children’s rights in places where not even the authorities have been able to succeed. The Anonymous hacked into the Broadcast Music Inc website, claiming that they intended to make them payback for what they had taken from the public. The broadcast music Inc founded in 1939 is an organization that deals in the collection of license fees in the interest of the publishers of music, composers and writers of songs. They pointed out that they took the website down because they witnessed them enforce copyright instead of fighting it. They further said that they could not just sit back and watch companies take money from the government to use in making profits. If there are any truths in what the Anonymous Hackers group claimed, then they are doing both the government and the public a favor by making sure no company misuses the public’s resources. On a different occasion, the Anonymous Hackers group was up against the Church of Scientology. The Church of scientology website is a web site that claims to be involved in the truth. The Anonymous Hackers group claimed that their intention was to change the illegal practices of the church of Scientology. According to the Anonymous Hackers group, the Church of Scientology has been exploiting its church members financially and denying its church members their freedom to speech. The church members keeping a certain video, featured by Tom Cruise, a secret, caused this. The group claimed that the church violated freedom of speech by tempering with what was initially written in a couple of web sites. This was against the scientology beliefs, and thus they changed the content with their own words. Every human being has the right to enjoy their freedom to speech, and thus, if anyone tries to take that right away then they are going against the law, and by the Anonymous Hackers fighting against groups that go against the human right, then they are for the people and the government and not against them (Ralph 57). Another attack by the Anonymous Hackers group was on the Bay Area Rapid Transit. The Anonymous Hackers group attacked the Bay Area Rapid Transit Company on the basis that the company was involved in censorship and submission of people. Censorship is the process of looking into people’s morality. The Anonymous Hackers group explained that no one has right to judge people wrongly for speaking out on things they perceive as wrong. The Bay area Rapid Transit banned people from the downtown area from using their phones even in time of emergency. This is an act of stopping people from practicing their right to communicate and right to speak out one’s mind, thus; the action that The Anonymous Hackers group intends to take is justified, and it is not an illegal matter (Roberts 22). Reasons for the attacks on companies By the Anonymous Hackers group There are a number of reasons as to why the Anonymous Hacker groups do what they do. For example, they did it because it gives them the satisfaction. The attacks make them feel they have accomplished something and thus it makes them feel satisfied. Another reason why they do it is for the enjoyment. This can be explained using the intrinsic motivation theory that states that there are some activities that one gets involved in for the enjoyment they get from it. The Anonymous Hackers enjoy watching companies that deal in illegal activities brought down. Feeling of creativity is another reason why the Anonymous Hackers involve themselves in the activities they do. Hacking is not an easy task that anyone can do since it requires expertise and creativity. It is a form of an art. Thus, when the Anonymous Hackers group does such things they get the feeling of creativity thus feel good about themselves (Douglas 132). The feeling of being obligated to the community also makes the Anonymous Hackers group do what they do. Through their action, we can see that they are involved in activities that deal with the public matters, and in this case, it can be concluded that, they do what they do because of the feeling that they are obligated to fighting for the rights of the public that no one else can. Though no common reason, the Anonymous Hackers may involve themselves in these activities for the benefit of payment. A firm may decide to hire a Hacker to help them in their projects if it is a firm that is taking part in the busines (Douglas 133). Solving of a problem could also be a reason for the Anonymous Hackers doing what they do. For example, in the presence of a problem with software, they may decide to solve the problem. Through solving of these problems, they improve their skills too. Interest could also lead to one engaging in these activities. For example, a hacker may decide to hack into a company’s computer for the interest, even though they are not gaining anything, and even after getting the information they might end up not using it. Conclusion It can be concluded that, even though the activities that the Anonymous Hackers group are engaged in may appear to be illegal, since they go against people’s right to privacy, by hacking into their computers without their permission, it comes out that the Anonymous Hacker groups are also helping the public as a whole. They are fighting for the rights of the public. It can also be concluded that they do not just do the activities for fun but for a couple of tangible reasons that include challenge, interest and satisfaction (Jordan 43). So even though the Anonymous Hackers group has been portrayed to be an illegal group, it does a lot of good than evil. It comes forward and deal with the staff that no one, including the government is willing to take responsibility and do. Through its activities, companies or firms that deal in illegal activities are surfaced and the public is made aware of things to watch out for (W. Douglas 99). Works Cited Apro, Bill. Hackers: The hunt for Australious most infamous Computer Crackers. Australia: Five miles press, 2005. Print Douglas, Thomas. Hacker Culture. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Pres, 2002. Print Douglas, Wilhem. Proffesional Penetration Testing. Syngress press, 2000. Jordan, Tim. Hacktivism and Cyber wars. New York: New York Times Press, 2004. Print Mandy, Andrew. Hungry Minds. New York: New York Times Press, 2001. Print Paul, Taylor. Hackers. Toronto: University of Canada Press, 1999. Print Ralph, Cliffor. The investigation prosecution and defence of a computer related crime. Durma, North Carolina: Carolina Academic Press, 2006. Print Roberts, Moore. Cybercrime. Ohio: Mathew Bender and company, 2005. Read More