Have you tried protesting lately? Maybe not, but we are all familiar with the protestors associated with the Occupy movement. These protestors are the ones who take up space and voice their dissent by physically being somewhere, but what you may not know is that there is another type of protestor that does not even have to leave their house.

Perhaps best known by their moniker “Anonymous,” these protestors have been classified a number of ways ranging from activists to nerds to cyber-terrorists. Those are strong classifications on the spectrum of good and evil so just what is “Anonymous” and what are they doing?

What is Anonymous?

“Anonymous” is a loosely connected group of Internet hackers around the world that originated on the image board www.4chan.org in 2003. The group has no leader and derives its name from the anonymity provided by the Internet. In their attacks, they have largely claimed to be champions of free speech and freedom of the Internet.

Okay… So what do they do?

“Anonymous” participates in a form of protesting known as “hacktivism,” a term that refers to using computers and the Internet to meet some sort of political end. These attacks are usually characterized as distributed denial of service or DDoS which, in the simplest terms, means denying access of a website to its intended users.

And I should care because…?

In their assault on the web, “Anonymous” has been the target of several critics and differing opinions. No one seems to be able to agree on what they actually are, much less if what they do is actually legal.

Now, before I go any further, let me be clear. I am in no way advocating you, the reader, to go out and try your hand at “hacktivism” or any other type of hacking.

There is some debate as to whether or not “hacktivism” is a legitimate form of protest and I have to say that it is indeed. When “Anonymous” does something, people listen.

Take the Feb. 2010 attack on Australian Telecommunications Minister Stephen Conroy for example. He was the main proponent of a policy that would filter sites with pornographic content. “Anonymous” perceived this as a threat on Internet freedom and proceeded with a series of DDoS attacks on government websites. The reaction to the attacks was incredibly strong in both directions, but the end result was that the plan was not implemented.

What I am saying is that the “hacktivism” was successful in achieving its intended political ends. Is that not what protesting is all about?

Additionally, “Anonymous” has been an advocate for catching violators of child abuse laws and has played an active role in trying to rid the web of child pornography.

As in most situations, there is always another side to the story. Despite what many consider their positive influence on the world, it cannot be denied that what the group does inconveniences Internet users. The group has claimed responsibility for taking down a number of government websites around the world including that of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and has threatened to take down Facebook.

What does it all mean?

Think of “hacktivism” in its purest form as a type of online civil disobedience. It is a way for people around the world to express their discontent with things they do not agree with in what is increasingly becoming an age defined by the Internet. I believe that the reaction against “hacktivism” stems from a misunderstanding by the world’s legislatures to see it as the form of protest adopted by the digital age. It is my opinion that “hacktivism” can be a legitimate form of protest when used responsibly, but it may never receive the tag of legitimacy due to the controversial nature of its main actor, “Anonymous.”