Electronic Civil Disobedience

Hacktivism and Electronic Civil Disobedience

Hacktivism, a central technique of ECD, first emerged as a term and practice in 1995, when many hackers became politicized over the jailing of hacker Kevin Mitnick. One example of hacktivism occurred when hackers attacked the New York Times Web site and replaced the news with a plea to release Mitnick from prison. Hacktivism relies on such techniques as jamming or blocking an electronic flow and placing electronic graffiti on Web sites.

During the conflict in the Balkans, politicized anti-war hacktivism was prevalent on all sides, making Kosovo the first known hacking war. According to Amy Harmon of the New York Times, a Serb hacker group known as the Black Hand attacked the Web site of Croatian newspaper Vjesnik. Croatian hackers responded by hacking onto the Web site of the Serbian National Library and leaving electronic graffiti messages. Similar graffiti populate the Web, with hacktivists urging readers to “Save Kashmir” or “Free East Timor.”

Hacktivism has been employed in the name of many political causes around the globe, and undoubtedly will continue into the future. Unfettered by geographical constraints, hackers and activists can organize and demonstrate solely through electronic means, enabling large groups to assemble and operate quickly, effectively, and non-violently. In 1999, for example, hacktivists organized a demonstration against the National Security Agency (NSA), which was accused of conducting a project known as Echelon. According to a 1997 report by the European Parliament, this project featured the routine monitoring of all emails, faxes, and telephone messages in Europe, looking for key words that may indicate terrorist or other threats. Responding to Echelon's eavesdropping, hacktivists declared “Jam Echelon Day,” exclaiming “Give the NSA their key words!” as they flooded the NSA with emails featuring such key words as “bomb” or “hijack.”

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