#OpDomesticTerrorism: Anonymous Shut Down More Than A Dozen Neo-Nazi Websites
The hacktivist collective Anonymous initiated a huge operation called #OpDomesticTerrorism against neo-Nazi and white supremacist websites in response to the Charlottesville rally. The operation was initiated as a reaction to the violence at the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which culminated in the murder of counter-protester Heather Heyer.
Anonymous, decentralized and web-based in nature in its activism, declared war on neo-Nazi and alt-right organizations, intent on disrupting their lines of presence and communication on the internet. Anonymous’ activities were part of the general social response to the resurgence of far-right extremism and white supremacy in America.
In the wake of #OpDomesticTerrorism, Anonymous effectively targeted and took down well over a dozen neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan (KKK) sites. The cybercrime group worked and relocated very quickly, taking many of the hate sites off the map, reports the International Business Times UK.
The Daily Stormer was among the largest targets, a large neo-Nazi website best described by hateful invective and inciting speech. It was hit hard as Anonymous and other registrars and ISPs attempted to get it taken offline. A supposed hacked message on the Daily Stormer site popped up, declaring that the website was under hacker control.
Anonymous tweeted, “We have no tolerance for any form of racism. We’re acting to take down the websites of these domestic far-right extremists in the interest of #OpDomesticTerrorism.”
The collective didn’t stop with site takedown. They also carried out tracking and outing of hate group members. This was a multi-component operation meant to discombobulate the internet presence used by these extremist organizations as a way to recruit members and communicate with one another.
The effect of #OpDomesticTerrorism was profound. Engadget says that “Options for neo-Nazis on the internet are starting to shrink”. The operation pushed many such groups to other hosting options, with some going so far as to use the dark web in an attempt to stay online.
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Still, the war on internet-based extremism and hate speech continues. While Anonymous’ activities were effective, they also drew criticisms regarding digital vigilantism and whether private individuals should police the internet. Some of the critics said that pushing such groups underground would make them more difficult to track and defeat.
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To all those fears, however, Anonymous’ move was globally seen as long overdue to arrest the rising wave of home-grown terror and radicalization via the Internet. The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Cindy Cohn explained the larger scenario of technology giants distancing themselves from white supremacist web pages as, “This is a slippery slope that once begun is hard to reverse.”.
As of 2023, the effects of #OpDomesticTerrorism are still present. While other neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups have managed to reinvent themselves online, the operation proved that mass mobilization is effective against web-based intolerance. It also set in motion continued debates on freedom of speech vs. the place of internet communities in imposing hurtful content.
Overall, Anonymous’ #OpDomesticTerrorism in 2017 was a watershed moment in the struggle against internet extremism. In taking down over a dozen neo-Nazi websites, the group showed the potential for hacktivist activity and forced key questions of internet governance and the boundaries of online activism.