Anonymous Target Terrorist Twitter Accounts

After the attack in Paris last week on the Charlie Hebdo offices, which left twelve people dead, the collective hacker group Anonymous target terrorist Twitter accounts. The shootings occurred because of satirical drawings of Muhammed that appeared in the magazine. Anonymous began a campaign, named #OpCharlieHebdo, to find out and attack various terrorist Twitter accounts. A move which the group have had previous success with, including taking control of the main Twitter account of the Ku Klux Klan. The group released a statement:

“Anonymous has always fought for the freedom of speech, and will never let this right besmirched by obscurantism and mysticism. Charlie Hebdo, historical figure of satirical journalism has been targeted.

Anonymous must remind every citizen that the press’s freedom is fundamental to democracy. Opinions, speech, newspaper articles without threats nor pressure, all these things are rights you can’t change.”

In an act of defiance, Charlie Hebdo ran an issue with a cartoon depicting Muhammed on the cover of the first issue since the attack. This of course caused further outrage but it also saw many prominent figures supporting the magazine’s decision to not back down, and most importantly keep the fight for free speech.

Anonymous will carry on fighting to remove terrorists from Twitter by calling up anyone who can find accounts of suspected terrorists and report them to be deleted.