Anonymous is using hacktivism to take down government websites after the Feds closed down MegaUpload. But do their new tactics go too far?

Why not arrest the airlines because someone smuggled some coke on them? Next the hotels that people snorted the coke in? The company who made bags someone put the coke in? The shop that sold the bags? The bank that the notes came from to snort the coke?

Yes the FBI went too far. Systems and services are not perfect and can be exploited by users. The legal system fails to catch everyone who breaks the law, it's also exploited by those who can afford it or are lucky enough to be well connected. Just because you have a lot of money and influence does not mean everything should operate to your desires. People acting on behalf of copyright holders are issuing Take Down notices for Links, Linking to a web page, containing a Link or Links that link to a web page with a Link to material claimed as breaching the copyright holder's rights. The turf war taking place is becoming absolutely ridiculous. Other people's works are being exploited by some who claim copyright ownership of them. It's an all-out information grab to see who can get a fence around something before someone else and then charge access. Public information is bought and sold, our minds are being mined.

You pay for a product online through an online service using software you install, download it, then you have to activate it online, type in serial number, install some crap, install some more crap, then you are limited to how many times you can use it on your own system. You find out you need to upgrade your system or suffer some hardware failure, the product you paid for no longer works! Forget complaining, you could get your whole account banned and lose access to all the products you paid for. OK lets do a backup then, it does not work F@(k D F@(k F@(k!

Don't even begin to think what might happen if a power surge or lightning strike takes out your system, especially with a backup drive connected. Time to start running professional backup systems, just don't violate any user agreements, you know those crazy legal jargon things that pop up that you no longer read or understand if you do, just click YES?

P.S., The Pentagon calls what you refer to: (the unsuspectingly involved), as collateral damage. In this instance, it's more appropriately referenced as collateral inclusion, and has the positive effect of drawing more public attention to the issue.

Since every college political science / american government textbook cites that when the People no longer believe or trust government, government has then lost all legitimacy, and the People are compelled; (and obligated to the millions of their forbears who have preserved and bequeathed this country and the Constitution to us, too often with their blood), to do everything possible to "reclaim" our country, representative democracy of, by, and for the People, and liberate the same from those who would -and have- usurped the same. A strict interpretation of the Declaration of Independence and our Original Constitution, with the Bill of Rights, implicitly shames those who do not go to whatever extremes necessary to secure the legacy which our Founding Fathers created for us. It is every individual's duty, in every generation, to do their part to reclaim and renew the great wealth that our Constitutionalized government and individual rights are. Now, go out there and KICK ASS !

Most definitely not! As long as government has the power to shut down websights on a whim, then we must use every avenue available to us to fight back.

No No No No

I think that the tactics were a bit over the top but never the less, I think they should target individuals rather than a group. It would be much better that way. Sooner or later, I believe that hacktivism is going to be the next tool. I just hope that there's a balance for good and evil there. You never know who will be the backstabber.

MegaUpload is a perfect examle of the kind of website that needs to be taken down. The people who own MegaUpload made millions not by their own effort, but by building a website designed to enable people to cheat software creators and movie makers, songwriters and artists etc out of what they rightfully worked for. I have no sympathy for MegaUpload. They knew what they were doing was wrong, and if Republicans were still in charge, they would still be ripping people off everyday. They never had a thing to worry about with Bush in office...they were as safe as Bin Laden while George W. was running things. Why? Because if it is your belief that regulations hinder the market, then you put people into positions of power that don't do a thing about the people who break regulations.

No .

Anonymous is no one and everyone and actions do not reflect the ideals of individuals or the whole. Let's not forget that.

When the government oversteps international law itself, it would seem reasonable that the people rise to the occasion and challenge such actions. You could argue that illegal wire taps, monitoring of the public at large and gathering their private details is intellectual theft, but when were the publics' interests ever put ahead of the multinational revenue generating machine.

Bow down and kiss the udder of the fat cash cow, for she wonders without limit onto pastures with scant regard for fences or other's claim to grass. On her hind is branded FREE MARKET but she devoured that long ago, cash cow travels where ever and she always takes her arse.

F the power.

I would definitely like to see them focus their attacks on those who are most criminal (and most UN-touchable). People like say the cock, err... koch brothers and their "interests" as an example.

Keith Olbermann's coverage of the primary is very disappointing compared to Uygur's, Gore's, and Granholm's previous coverages. So I'll be watching MSNBC.

They are ridiculous.
They also post the names and addresses of people they don't like.

Who made them judge and jury?

http://www.zarnadi.com/2012/01/pengalaman-pertama.html

I have to agree with a lot of the other comments posted here. If they can do what they did to MegaUpload to stop online piracy, what do they need SOPA for? Something other than online piracy I would suspect.

They are extraditing the owners of mega uploads. It seems the old law works just fine and. Boycott the major media and occupy by Hollywood. Otherwise they will censor the Internet when they'd take the bill up again next month. I can do without paying exorbitant movie ticket prices
For a few months can't you I think this is just the beginning of an attempt to shut down free discourse worldwide. The 1% is scared by the Arab spring and now the 99% movement snowballing out of control. zootz

If nobody fights back, we are no different than a government controlled China. The real question is "Do American's want to be controlled by the greedy?"

Tit for tat. Personally I don't agree with it, but can you deny their frustration with people who are 50 years old and don't know how to google something? If SOPA passed as written by lobbyist, we might as well invite the Chinese to set up the Great Business Wall. Though they probably know more about the internet then our incumbents do.

I think with each step we take we will make mistakes. I am not sure how many unwitting takes this will process in error or why anyone thought it was a good idea. As a true novice I would definately have the potential to err. I hope the truly dedicated will correct this "blind" option. This type of Code will only hurt the movement that has shown signs that the people do have the power should they exercise it. We have a duty to be transparent and above board even if our government has forgotten how. A lot of us have developed a new hobby of remix, I am secretly obsessed and as a photoshopper this material is heaven. What really pisses me off is that the government is again claiming the right to convict without proof or trial. This stripping of our rights is getting so outrageous. Again-what rights do we have? I thought that innocent til proven guilty thing was kinda untouchable and yet, it is being challenged in outright and subversive ways.