Editing Hacktivism (section)

===Anonymous===
{{Main|Anonymous (group)}}

[[File:Anonymous cat mural.jpg|thumb|The [[Guy Fawkes mask]] is commonly used by Anonymous.]]
Perhaps the most prolific and well known hacktivist group, [[Anonymous (group)|Anonymous]] has been prominent and prevalent in many major online hacks over the past decade. Anonymous is a decentralized group that originated on the forums of [[4chan]] during 2003, but didn't rise to prominence until 2008 when they directly attacked the [[Church of Scientology]] in a massive [[Denial-of-service attack|DoS]] attack.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Feature by Chris Landers: Serious Business {{!}} 4/2/2008 |url=http://www.citypaper.com/columns/story.asp?id=15543 |date=2008-06-08 |access-date=2015-12-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608050312/http://www.citypaper.com/columns/story.asp?id=15543 |archive-date=June 8, 2008 }}</ref> Since then, Anonymous has participated in a great number of online projects such as [[Operation Payback|Operation: Payback]] and Operation: Safe Winter.<ref name="dailydot.com">{{Cite web|title = #OpSafeWinter: Anonymous fights homelessness worldwide|url = http://www.dailydot.com/news/op-safe-winter-anonymous/|website = The Daily Dot|date = 4 January 2014|access-date = 2015-12-02|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151121054415/http://www.dailydot.com/news/op-safe-winter-anonymous/|archive-date = 2015-11-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = 4chan Users Organize Surgical Strike Against MPAA – MediaCenter Panda Security|url = http://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/news/4chan-users-organize-ddos-against-mpaa/|website = MediaCenter Panda Security|date = 17 September 2010|access-date = 2015-12-02|language = en-US|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160102111822/http://www.pandasecurity.com/mediacenter/news/4chan-users-organize-ddos-against-mpaa/|archive-date = 2016-01-02}}</ref> However, while a great number of their projects have been for a charitable cause,<ref name="dailydot.com"/> they have still gained notoriety from the media due to the nature of their work mostly consisting of illegal hacking.<ref>{{Cite news|title = Hacker group Anonymous is a nuisance, not a threat|url = https://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/technology/anonymous_hack/index.htm|website = CNNMoney|access-date = 2015-12-02|first = David|last = Goldman|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130327004354/http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/technology/anonymous_hack/index.htm|archive-date = 2013-03-27}}</ref>

Following the [[November 2015 Paris attacks|Paris terror attacks]] in 2015, Anonymous posted a video declaring war on [[ISIS]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/paris-attacks-anonymous-launches-its-biggest-operation-ever-against-isis-promises-to-hunt-down-a6735811.html|title=Anonymous has declared war on Isis after the Paris attacks|date=2015-11-16|newspaper=The Independent|language=en-GB|access-date=2016-10-23|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201052117/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/paris-attacks-anonymous-launches-its-biggest-operation-ever-against-isis-promises-to-hunt-down-a6735811.html|archive-date=2016-12-01}}</ref> the terror group that claimed responsibility for the attacks. Since declaring war on ISIS, Anonymous since identified several Twitter accounts associated with the movement in order to stop the distribution of ISIS propaganda. However, Anonymous fell under heavy criticism when Twitter issued a statement calling the lists Anonymous had compiled "wildly inaccurate," as it contained accounts of journalists and academics rather than members of ISIS.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/anonymous-hacking-isis-warns-collaborating-us-government-deeply-stupid-2226066|title=Anonymous Hacks ISIS, But Warns Against Collaborating With US|date=2015-12-15|newspaper=International Business Times|access-date=2016-10-23|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182320/http://www.ibtimes.com/anonymous-hacking-isis-warns-collaborating-us-government-deeply-stupid-2226066|archive-date=2016-11-19}}</ref>

Anonymous has also been involved with the [[Black Lives Matter]] movement. Early in July 2015, there was a rumor circulating that Anonymous was calling for a Day of Rage protests in retaliation for the shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, which would entail violent protests and riots. This rumor was based on a video that was not posted with the official Anonymous YouTube account.{{Citation needed|reason=No such thing as an offical account|date=November 2023}} None of the Twitter accounts associated with Anonymous had tweeted anything in relation to a Day of Rage, and the rumors were identical to past rumors that had circulated in 2014 following the death of Mike Brown.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.snopes.com/2016/07/11/anonymous-day-of-rage-protests-2016/|title=Anonymous 'Day of Rage' Protests|last=LaCapria|first=Kim|website=snopes|date=11 July 2016 |access-date=2016-10-23}}</ref> Instead, on July 15, a Twitter account associated with Anonymous posted a series of tweets calling for a day of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. The Twitter account used the hashtag "#FridayofSolidarity" to coordinate protests across the nation, and emphasized the fact that the Friday of Solidarity was intended for peaceful protests. The account also stated that the group was unaware of any Day of Rage plans.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://sfist.com/2016/07/15/black_lives_matter_protests_happeni.php|title=Black Lives Matter Protests Happening Today At SF's Civic Center And Downtown Oakland|newspaper=SFist|language=en-US|access-date=2016-10-23|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160718014246/http://sfist.com/2016/07/15/black_lives_matter_protests_happeni.php|archive-date=2016-07-18}}</ref>

In February 2017 the group took down more than 10,000 sites on the [[Dark web]] related to child porn.<ref name="NBC News"/>