'Anonymous' Hackers Attack Child Pornography Websites, Start Moral Crusade (VIDEO)
Hackers associated with a known hacktivist group, Anonymous, have launched an attack on a website hosting sites featuring child pornography, it emerged recently.
The hackers of Anonymous, a community known for stunts like paralyzing Visa and Mastercard websites or threatening to shut down Facebook, have launched a crusade against websites featuring kiddie porn and againts the website allegedly hosting over 40 such sites, Freedom Hosting.
Anonymous published a video statement on YouTube:
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The hackers have labeled their campaign Operation Darknet (OpDarkNet). Darknet is, in Internet slang, the gray area of the web that is hard to monitor or control by the law, and where many illegal activities are often exercised - such as selling drugs or child pornography. Darknet is not easily reachable by most Internet users.
The members of Anonymous noticed in early October a website containing links to images of child sex abuse, according to a press release the group published. The website was called Lolita City, allegedly one of the largest child pornography websites to date containing more than 100GB of child pornography.
The hackers obtained and published a list of some 1,500 users of that members-only service, reported the BBC. It also reportedly uploaded clips from TV show "To Catch A Predator" instead of pornographic videos. Next, the hackers went after the website's alleged host, a site called Freedom Hosting.
"At apprx 9:00pm CST on October 14, 2011 We identified Freedom Hosting as the host of the largest collection of child pornography on the internet. We then issued a warning to remove the illegal content from their server, which they refused to do," Anonymous said in the press release.
"We have been targeting them in secret for a while now, taking down their servers as much as possible," a hacker named Arson told Gawker. "We decided to seek media attention for this operation so that we may get the resources needed to shut them down on a more permanent basis."
The group also issued the following statement:
"The owners and operators at Freedom Hosting are openly supporting child pornography and enabling pedophiles to view innocent children, fueling their issues and putting children at risk of abduction, molestation, rape, and death. For this, Freedom Hosting has been declared #OpDarknet Enemy Number One. By taking down Freedom Hosting, we are eliminating 40+ child pornography websites, among these is Lolita City, one of the largest child pornography websites to date containing more than 100GB of child pornography. We will continue to not only crash Freedom Hosting's server, but any other server we find to contain, promote, or support child pornography."
It has also listed their demands:
"Our demands are simple. Remove all child pornography content from your servers. Refuse to provide hosting services to any website dealing with child pornography. This statement is not just aimed at Freedom Hosting, but everyone on the internet. It does not matter who you are, if we find you to be hosting, promoting, or supporting child pornography, you will become a target."
Anonymous might make a difference in the way the cyber community of hackers is being perceived, accordign to many commenters. Usually associated with illegal activity, hackers have now become those on the quest for justice, even if they are still using illegal methods.
