The infamous hacking group Anonymous is up to their usual shenanigans, this time shutting down the personal website of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Anonymous is allegedly fed up with the Japanese practice of killing whales, and they are hopeful that their latest attack will save the large sea mammals. The hacking organization made the attack after Japan deployed two whaling ships to the Southern Ocean just off of the coast of Antarctica.
Commercial whale hunting has been banned since 1986, and the unlawful practice is monitored by the International Whaling Commission. The commission is an intergovernmental organization focused on the protection of whales, as well as the regulation of their hunting by various traditional indigenous groups.
But although the practice is formally banned, the Japanese have been able to skirt around the law by saying that their whaling practices are conducted for the purpose of scientific research. The Japanese conduct a whaling exhibition in the Southern Ocean every year.
This isn’t the first time that Anonymous has shut down the website of a state government or its leaders in response to unethical whaling activities. Earlier this year in November, hackers from Anonymous managed to shut down five government websites in Iceland. These Icelandic websites included the website of the prime minister and the website of the ministries of the environment and interior. Much like the more recent attack on the website of the Japanese Prime Minister, Anonymous said that it was trying to save the whales.
According to Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan Yoshihide Suga, the alleged attack by Anonymous is currently being investigated by Japanese officials. It’s still possible that Anonymous is taking claim for an attack that it did not conduct.
Suga said, “We have not determined for certain that it was an attack by Anonymous, but we have received reports that they claimed responsibility.
However, the effects of the attack were short lived, as Prime Minister Abe’s website was back to normal by Thursday afternoon.
Anonymous also hacked Trump Towers’ website in backlash for Donald Trump’s recent racist remarks.
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