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The use of mobile devices, coupled with Twitter and other social networks, have transformed from conventional civilian use into weapons of war and civil unrest. One has to wonder just how well the Libyan rebels would be faring currently if they didn't have access to mobile devices or the Internet. Would they be able to effectively communicate or coordinate attacks? What about the successful civil revolution in Egypt, where 30+ year leader Hosni Mubarak was forced from power?
In both circumstances, and indeed in Syria, the government in power responded to such protests by cutting off the telecommunications network (the Libyan rebels were fortunate to circumvent this by commandeering the cellular infrastructure in occupied territory and establishing their own cell network). The point is, cutting off cellular/mobile communications has become a trademark of dictators and tyrants looking to quell civil unrest - even peaceful challenges to their rule. Surely, such a thing couldn't happen in the United States, right?
Well, let's take a look at BART, or the Bay Area Rapid Transit. Users of this transit system will note many things - such as how filthy it is compared to the New York City subway system. But does this filth translate into a misguided interpretation of the First Amendment? Anonymous sure thinks so.
As many know by now, BART temporarily suspended cellular service on Thursday in response to a planned protest that never materialized. This got a lot of people upset, especially free speech advocates such as the EFF. And before you knew it, Anonymous was throwing its opinion into the mix. These days, whenever Anonymous has something to say, people's attention perks up. Anonymous is a decentralized hacktivist organization, responsible for attacking hundreds of websites it feels threaten its views of how a civilized and democratic society should function. You'll remember a cell of Anonymous attacked ACS Law in 2010, with devastating results. Numerous government websites, including the CIA, have been hit with DoS (Denial of Service) attacks in the last year.
Considering the free speech implications of BART's tactic - referred to as "pulling a Mubarak", Anonymous was quick to get into the game. Yesterday, Anonymous published a press release stating its intention to attack BART’s websites – and today it made good on that promise.
Date: 2011-08-14 |