Hacker group Anonymous recently launched a campaign against Austin-based website the Daily Dot. The hacktivist collective released a video Monday night encouraging netizens and advertisers to boycott the site on social media after it was revealed the site had published articles written by Hector “Sabu” Monsegur, a former Anonymous hacker turned FBI informant.
The collective alleged the site’s publication of Monsegur’s reviews of the CBS show “CSI: Cyber” and the Michael Mann film “Blackhat” was tantamount to “treachery,” and took to Twitter to denounce the site and those that advertise on it.
Anonymous released a barrage of tweets over the weekend tagged #OpDDD — Operation Destroy Daily Dot — and threatened advertisers with attacks if they didn’t drop ties with the blog.
“Anonymous does not attack media nor does it censor it, however there are various ways to hold those who build their media empires and careers on the backs of movements, actions, and individuals accountable,” the group said in a press release.
Monsegur served as an informant for the FBI, and his cooperation with the agency led to the conviction of hacker Jeremy Hammond for the 2011 hack on Austin-based intelligence firm Stratfor, which exposed personal and financial data of more than 60,000 of the company’s clients.
In a blog post defending its publication of Monsegur’s commentary, the Daily Dot said it “understand[s] the plight of Jeremy Hammond” and that its contracting of Monsegur was “not meant to undermine Hammond’s difficult situation but to provide rare perspective about a program of national interest.”
Last night the group tweeted that the door was “officially shut” for advertisers and Dot supporters.
Daily Dot's Advertisers @americanapparel @BestBuy @DrinkAdvisor @DeepEddyVodka@FMP @Kia @smartwater @tumblr @Vice #OpDDD
— Samurai_Lucy (@Samurai___Lucy) March 10, 2015
