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Anonymity and privacy are growing concerns for netizens, users of the Internet, with Facebook and Google trying to have everyone make an online identity. Although the concerned have every right to be cautious, anonymity can encourage hatred, immoral and illegal activites.
The hacker group Anonymous has released a statement explaining they stumbled upon a section of a hidden wiki called Hard Candy. The section had links and pictures of child pornography and places to find it. The hackers issued a formal warning to remove the section from the site, and after not complying with the demand, they hacked into the system and removed all child-porn related links and files.
That was not the end as the server hosting the files, named Freedom Hosting, restored the files to the Web site. At which time, the group of hackers once again broke through an improved security system and once again removed the files from the server. They then warned that any Web site promoting or sharing child pornography would become a target.
After the server once again restored the files, Anonymous stopped all service to clients from the hosting company, shutting down the system for an extended period. In addition to continuously removing the files they leaked the user names of many of the people who accessed the child pornography collection. Some user names were more obvious than others.
One of the largest Web sites taken down was named Lolita City, which reportedly had more than 100 Gigabits of child pornography related files.
An excerpt from the Anonymous statement included that they will target any Web site on the Internet sharing child pornography.
"It does not matter who you are, if we find you to be hosting, promoting, or supporting child pornography, you will become a target," it said.
You may know of Anonymous from when they temporarily overloaded MasterCard's Web site after MasterCard wouldn't allow donations to reach Wikileaks, the Web site dedicated to releasing confidential cables of governments around the world. They have hacked the Pentagon, News Corp and various Web sites such as the Westboro Baptist Church in defiance of their anti-homosexual protests.
They are planning to take down Facebook on Nov. 5, which considering their Guy Fawkes mask persona and anti-establishment ideals, should ring a bell with fans of V for Vendetta.
Recently, a supporter of the hacker group was kidnapped by members of the Mexican Drug Cartel, the Los Zetas. A statement threatening to divulge personal information on Loz Zetas members, including names, addresses and phone numbers, then surfaced in retaliation.
Anonymous is a growing collective of hackers, enthusiasts and informed people. They aim to be a force in the digital world, one where corporations, governments and law institutions are no longer above the will of the people.
Their release was very detailed with both a time line of events regarding the hack and the methodologies used in the attack. They signed off with their usual slogan:
We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
Expect us.
is a member of the 
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