Activist hacker collective Anonymous has launched an online campaign to raise awareness about two controversial US information-sharing bills Americans.org has learned.
The first bill, CISA (Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act) is widely regarded to sacrifice privacy without improving security. Anonymous goes further, arguing that the measures threaten Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted searches and seizures, hence their decision to launch #OperationCISPA.
This CISA bill is an alternative of the CISPA [Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act] that failed to be passed in 2013. Key lobbyists behind the rejected bill, Sony Pictures and the MPAA, are the key pushers of the CISA legislation.
“The CISA and CISPA bills directly attack the Fourth Amendment by letting the NSA monitor your private information without a warrant,” a member of the group reportedly told The Register.
“This is a direct impact to our security and assault on our privacy. Our objective is to stop the CISA Bill, and all other future cyber security bills, that aim to diminish our rights on the internet.”
The controversial bill would allow organisations within the US government and corporate worlds to share data on ‘attacks’.While its supporters argue that better information sharing will help prevent against hack attacks the real target is likely file sharers. The legislation would help large and exceedingly wealthy movie studios to sue illegal downloaders and streamers. Despite piracy being linked to increased sales of content the Hollywood set seem fixated on attacking Americans with legal threats that amount to extortion rackets.
This operation marks a change in tactics for the hacker group, who have previously launched denial of service attacks against their targets. Participants in past operations have been jailed for their involvement.
In fighting CISA Anonymous is pushing a petition, attempting to build public awareness through media outreach and other common PR strategies. It’s tactics look like a conventional political campaign, which may be beneficial to the group’s long term viability and ability to achieve substantive change.
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