Anonymous: Activists or Terrorists?

Casey French

Beginning with internet pranks, Anonymous is a loosely connected group of internet activists that fight for freedom of speech and expression through technology. Their mischief has caused many disruptions in governmental organizations to fight corruption. Advancements in technology has changed the way we see the world, especially the way we communicate and collaborate. But what is their basis? What is the fine line between social good and terrorism? It is difficult to say. I understand how taking down Hal Turner and the Church of Scientology can be entertaining. I realize their impartial motives in certain situations that are immoral or inhumane. However, I am still skeptical. On one hand, they have no hierarchical system in which corruption can exist. This allows them to stand true to their motives and fight the political groups that are tempted by greed and dishonesty. The release of classified government documents exposes the political systems of every country for what they are in the past and the present. It's information that the public wants. On the other hand, hacking websites that compromises corporations do not affect just the source of corruption. It trickles down the hierarchical pyramid, harming many other innocent people. Anonymous has presented valuable information to the public, but it could be dangerous in the wrong hands. It weakens the structure of government, which is their goal...transparency between borders. When a group of people fight for revenge, their cause could be less meaningful and more categorized as terrorism. It's difficult to create change for good when the masses feel insecurity and fear. Since Anonymous is a loose organization, I feel it can escalate and branch off into more terrorist groups. Not everyone has the same ideology and when they're behind a computer screen, it's easy to show your true colors without anyone knowing your identity. 

This is a brief example that was explained in the documentary. It's alarming that the personal credit information of over 3 million people has been lost by a trusted corporation to people with no identity. Their motive inflicted substantial losses to Sony, and their mission was clear. However, what about those 3 million people whose valuable information has been stolen? This act is eye-opening and shows the true power of the internet. So what do you guys believe? Is Anonymous a group that uses malicious acts to achieve change or a group with the common good to rally for justice to those who are oppressed?