FOUR THINGS ABOUT THE HACKTIVIST WAR ON ISIL

1

IT DIDN’T JUST START

Anonymous’ weekend declaration of war is more of a publicity

and recruitment strategy for an existing operation, #OPISIS, which got its start in the wake of the Charlie

Hebdo massacre in Paris. It has splintered into several different independent efforts aimed at stopping the influence of ISIL online, particularly on social

media.

2

IT’S MAINLY ABOUT TWITTER

ISIL has a large, and very visible, presence on the site, one that online vigilantes and security experts have

long targeted for removal. According to a recent Brookings Institution report, there were about 46,000 active ISIL-linked Twitter accounts linked to the extremist group’s supporters by the end of 2014. There are between 500 and 2,000 power users, who make up the bulk of the group’s online success.

3

THE OPERATION IS CONTROVERSIAL WITHIN ANONYMOUS

Anonymous isn’t unanimously behind Operation Paris, or Operation ISIS — as evidenced by a discussion playing out over Pastebin (a website used by Anonymous and others to publicize their hack attacks). And even within the operation itself, there is further disagreement over how to proceed. The risk of outing innocent people is real. It could also put members of Anonymous

at increased risk for targeting by the groups they’re seeking to stop.

4 ANONYMOUS ISN’T THE ONLY GROUP FIGHTING ISIL ONLINE

There are some independent online activists who directly

talk online with individuals they believe

are vulnerable to joining the ISIL via the group’s social media community. Also worth

noting is a recent campaign co-ordinated by YouTube and multiple Muslim groups to create and upload anti-ISIL messages to the site.