Abstract
Since 2010, digital direct action, including leaks, hacking and mass protest, has become a regular feature of political life on the Internet. This chapter considers the source, strengths, and weakness of this activity 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. It has been remarkably effective, even though it lacks the human and financial resources to engage in long-term strategic thinking or planning. This chapter covers the different historical phases of Anonymous in order to examine its logic, the sources of its geopolitical power, and its legacy.
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Acknowledgment
The Power and Politics behind the Mask was first published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation as Paper No. 3 in the Internet Governance Paper Series, copyright 2013, by the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and then in Organized Chaos: Reimagining the Internet, edited by Mark Raymond and Gordon Smith, published by the Centre for International Governance Innovation in 2014. Published with permission.
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Coleman, E.G. (2020). Logics and Legacy of Anonymous. In: Hunsinger, J., Allen, M., Klastrup, L. (eds) Second International Handbook of Internet Research. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-024-1555-1_57
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