81. Anonymous in Context: The Politics and Power behind the Mask
- Author:
- Gabriella Coleman
- Publication Date:
- 09-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for International Governance Innovation
- Abstract:
- Since 2010, digital direct action, including leaks, hacking and mass protest, has become a regular feature of political life on the Internet. The source, strengths and weakness of this activity are considered in this paper through an in-depth analysis of Anonymous, the protest ensemble that has been adept at magnifying issues, boosting existing — usually oppositional — movements and converting amorphous discontent into a tangible form. This paper, the third in the Internet Governance Paper Series, examines the intersecting elements that contribute to Anonymous' contemporary geopolitical power: its ability to land media attention, its bold and recognizable aesthetics, its participatory openness, the misinformation that surrounds it and, in particular, its unpredictability. Anonymous signals the growing importance of what I call “weapons of the geek,” a modality of politics exercised by a class of privileged and visible actors who are often at the centre of economic life. Among geeks and hackers, political activities are rooted in concrete experiences of their craft — administering a server or editing videos — skills channelled toward bolstering civil liberties, such as privacy.
- Topic:
- Security, Crime, Intelligence, Science and Technology, Communications, and Mass Media