Blog essay: Using hacktivism for advocacy

We have talked in class about different forms of activism in the digital age, ranging from clicktivism to more deviant strategic behavior.
One emerging example of the latter mechanism is hacktivism. Even within hacktivism culture, actions can take on various characteristics and tactics. Nonetheless, the overall mission behind the movement is to use technology and online networks for political and social protest (Thompson, 2013). Groups such as WikiLeaks and Anonymous (not really a group, but more of a network) are perhaps the most well known organizations associated with hacktivism. These tactics have taken off in the past decade. In fact, a 2012 article reported that hacktivism was to blame for the majority of cybercrimes in the United States (Skelton, 2012). Below is an infographic of the history of hacktivism.

 (Skelton, 2012).

Hacktivism can take on many tactics including publically publishing documents that were intended to only be available to certain people or for a fee (e.g. Aaron Swartz with JSTOR articles and Bradley/Chelsea Manning with classified reports), Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) which creates “cyber traffic” to slow down and crash certain websites, and doxing, which publishes personal and corporate information such as personal contact and credit card information (Thompson, 2013). These methods have raised questions around the legality of such actions. When does exercising freedom of speech and civil disobedience become a crime? Under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), nearly all of these can carry hefty fines and jail sentences of up to life in prison (Thompson, 2013). In wake of Aaron Swartz’s death, Aaron’s Law has attempted to give more rights to so-called hacktivists; however, the amendment has not passed due to what some say is the interest of technology companies (Dekel, 2014). In January 2015, President Obama proposed new measures to tighten cybersecurity that could increase threats to hacktivists (White House, 2015).

I find using hacktivism as a mechanism for civil disobedience to be particularly interesting, specifically DDoS. I first came across this tactic while investigating the use of mobile technology during the migrant journey for my research paper through the work of Ricardo Dominguez. He is a UC-San Diego professor, activist and artist who uses hacktivism tactics for social justice issues related to immigration topics. His organization, Electric Disturbance Theater (EDT), has participated in many “cyber civil disobedience events.” One tool is a network he devised called FloodNet (born out of support for the Zapatista movement in Mexico), “which allowed anyone with an internet connection to gum up the official sites of the US Border Patrol, White House, G8, Mexican embassy, and others, rendering them inaccessible” (Dunbar, 2011, para. 1). Besides overloading websites (which is essentially like refreshing a page continuously on a macro-scale) FloodNet aims to glean information from websites, such as the level of democracy on government websites by conducting search queries and then uploading 404 files to their websites. Dominguez explains that these acts of disturbances are virtual sit-ins with thousands of people participating. Moreover, this kind of online activism connects “data bodies” and “real bodies,” which is a characteristic seen in other movements like Occupy (Morgenstern, 2012; Chao, 2013). Perhaps what sets EDT apart from other hackers is that their work is not done anonymously, but “on a level of radical transparency” in which EDT takes full ownership and responsibility for their actions (Chao, 2013, para. 4 under YOU’RE A PIONEER). Dominguez also notes that his work differs from other hacktivists because he sees it as aesthetic projects, rather than technological projects. In this sense, it helps him skirt the law, although his group is not immune to legal woes (Chao, 2013). Nevertheless, I see Dominguez’s work with DDoS as a milder form of hacktivism that aims to probe powerful organizations on social justice issues while pushing the envelope. It is an example of how direct action and disturbance events are taking new dimensions.

Hear more from Ricardo Dominguez at the NewSchool’s The Fear of Art conference (Dominguez’s talk starts around 4:00).

I see this mechanism of cyber civil disobedience as a power tool for engaging activists and government agencies and corporations; however, I do wonder how the future of net neutrality and other internet laws, including increased government surveillance, might change online tactics for civil disobedience.

Reference

Chao, E. (2013, September 6). Disturbance was accomplished: An interview with

droneologist and hacktivist Ricardo Dominguez. Motherboard. Retrieved from http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/disturbance-was-accomplished-an-interview-with-droneologist-and-hacktivist-ricardo-dominguez

Dekel, J. (2014, May 01). Swartz doc director: Oracle and Larry Ellison killed Aaron's Law.

Retrieved from http://o.canada.com/technology/swartz-doc-director-oracle-and-larry-ellison-killed-aarons-law

Dunbar, A. (2011, May 9). Crossing the border illegally? there's an "App" for that: A Q+A

with Ricardo Dominguez. Motherboard. Retrieved from http://motherboard.vice.com/en_ca/read/the-transborder-immigrant-tool-helps-mexicans-cross-over-safely

Morgenstern, T. (2012, October 8). Hacking the border to pieces: Technology, poetics, and

protest at the speed of dreams. Retrieved from http://artthreat.net/2012/10/ricardo-dominguez-hacking-border/

Skelton, A. (2012, March 28). A history of hacktivism. Mashable. Retrieved from

            http://mashable.com/2012/03/28/history-of-hacktivism/

Thompson, C. (2013, January 18). Hacktivism: Civil disobedience or cyber crime?

ProPublica. Retrieved from http://www.propublica.org/article/hacktivism-civil-disobedience-or-cyber-crime

White House. (2015, January 13). Securing cyberspace: President Obama announces new

            cybersecurity legislative proposal and other cybersecurity efforts. Retrieved from

            http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/13/securing-cyberspace-president-

            obama-announces-new-cybersecurity-legislat