Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of hack and activism), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change.[1] With roots in hacker culture and hacker ethics, its ends are often related to free speech, human rights, or freedom of information movements.[2]
Hacktivist activities span many political ideals and issues. Freenet, a peer-to-peer platform for censorship-resistant communication, is a prime example of translating political thought and freedom of speech into code. Hacking as a form of activism can be carried out by a singular activist or through a network of activists, such as Anonymous and WikiLeaks, working in collaboration toward common goals without an overarching authority figure.[3][4] For context, according to a statement by the U.S. Justice Department, Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, plotted with hackers connected to the "Anonymous" and "LulzSec" groups, who have been linked to multiple cyberattacks worldwide. In 2012, Assange, who was being held in the United Kingdom on a request for extradition from the United States, gave the head of LulzSec a list of targets to hack and informed him that the most significant leaks of compromised material would come from the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, or the New York Times.[5]
"Hacktivism" is a controversial term with several meanings. The word was coined to characterize electronic direct action as working toward social change by combining programming skills with critical thinking. But just as hack can sometimes mean cyber crime, hacktivism can be used to mean activism that is malicious, destructive, and undermining the security of the Internet as a technical, economic, and political platform.[6] In comparison to previous forms of social activism, hacktivism has had unprecedented success, bringing in more participants, using more tools, and having more influence in that it has the ability to alter elections, begin conflicts, and take down businesses.[7]
According to the United States 2020–2022 Counterintelligence Strategy, in addition to state adversaries and transnational criminal organizations, "ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations, also pose significant threats".[8][9]
- ^ "THE "ANONYMOUS" MOVEMENT: HACKTIVISM AS AN EMERGING FORM OF POLITICAL PARTICIPATION" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2017-07-05.
- ^ "Hackers take down thousands of 'dark web' sites, post private data". NBC News. Archived from the original on 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2017-02-27.
- ^ Milone, Mark (2002). "Hactivism: Securing the National Infrastructure". The Business Lawyer. 58 (1): 383–413. JSTOR 40688127.
- ^ Pawlicka, Aleksandra; Choraś, Michał; Pawlicki, Marek (2021). "The stray sheep of cyberspace a.k.a. the actors who claim they break the law for the greater good". Personal and Ubiquitous Computing. 25 (5): 843–852. doi:10.1007/s00779-021-01568-7.
- ^ Pettersson, Edvard (2020-06-25). "WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Accused of Conspiring With LulzSec and Anonymous Hackers". TIME. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
- ^ Peter Krapp, "Noise Channels: Glitch and Error in Digital Culture", University of Minnesota Press 2011. ISBN 978-0-8166-7625-5. Archived 2013-05-23 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ George, Jordana J.; Leidner, Dorothy E. (2019-09-01). "From clicktivism to hacktivism: Understanding digital activism". Information and Organization. 29 (3): 100249. doi:10.1016/j.infoandorg.2019.04.001. ISSN 1471-7727.
- ^ Menn, Joseph (March 25, 2021). "New wave of 'hacktivism' adds twist to cybersecurity woes". Reuters. Archived from the original on Jul 9, 2023.
- ^ "National Counterintelligence Strategy of the United States of America 2020-2022", Director of National Intelligence.