Anonymous Attacks Oakland Officials

Jason Ang: (Current Event 1)

Tech

Anonymous Attacks Oakland: Hacker Group Posts City Officials' Private Information Online

2/7/12

450 Words

The outcropping of new legislature on freedom of the internet have spurred large amounts of unrest within our society. Whether the 24 hour shut down of Wikipedia or a large censorship sign over the Google logo, this subject has hit home, not because its big economically, but because it will affect us so close and so drastically. Without these subtle things such as Wikipedia, our lives will change so much, we won't be saving up for lunch at Mcdonald's anymore, we'll be saving up for songs on iTunes that you can no longer download illegally. Maybe the internet will be ruled and patrolled by corporations and a tight governmental grip. But besides creating a scare for us, the recent legislature has allowed for a smaller group of hackers fighting for the people to emerge, they call themselves "Anonymous".

Anonymous was born from a small internet meme, or saying, that caught on to mean a large group of hackers that are starting to fight for internet and technological rights. Following the beginning of SOPA, Anonymous has shut down the CIA and FBI websites to show the government that power that the group holds. But Anonymous's most recent attack on our government was not shutting down police websites or attacking the government through the web, it was in the strangest form you could imagine. Anonymous hacked and posted the personal information of the top officials of Oakland, California. Why? To assist the Occupy Movement.

The Occupy Movement has been the spotlight for quite some time now, with movements growing in metropolitan and school areas, none were more publicly watched and followed than the Occupy Oakland Movement. Occupy Oakland had successfully shut down the port of Oakland on a peaceful march early November of last year. Recently they tried to take over a vacant building but were opposed by 100 or more police and ultimately pushed back. The last place the Occupy organizers were expecting to get aid was Anonymous.

Last Tuesday, Oakland officials and police woke to find the group had posted their personal information online, including their phone numbers, adresses and Salary rates. Only City Council member Rebecca Kaplan was spared, a note under her name reading, "Thank You for your support and being a true leader in our community." The postings were accompanied by a rather chilling and interesting video of an automated voice speaking to the citizens of Oakland. The video said: "Anonymous has been watching... before you commit such atrocities against innocent people, think twice. You should have expected us." (See the full video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rH173L6flU&feature=player_embedded#!)

Anonymous seems to have grown a heart and reached out to a real solid cause rather than probing the interwebs for holes and flaws.

Although an attack on the Oakland Officials may not seem like a huge blow, This shows that the members of Anonymous not only have the power and skill to reveal hidden information, but that they support the Occupy Movement. The members saw the salaries of the City council rise, and posted these findings to show the people the truth. So next time you imagine a guy sitting behind a computer, hacking away at firewalls, drinking a mountain dew and munching on a pizza, he may not be fighting you anymore. He may be fighting for you.

- Jason