Anonymous (hacker group)

Anonymous is a decentralized international activist and hacktivist collective and movement primarily known for its various cyberattacks against several governments, government institutions and government agencies, corporations and the Church of Scientology.

Anonymous originated in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan representing the concept of many online and offline community users simultaneously existing as an "anarchic", digitized "global brain" or "hivemind".^[1]^[2]^[3] Anonymous members (known as anons) can sometimes be distinguished in public by the wearing of Guy Fawkes masks in the style portrayed in the graphic novel and film V for Vendetta.^[4] Some anons also opt to mask their voices through voice changers or text-to-speech programs.

^ Landers, Chris (April 2, 2008). "Serious Business: Anonymous Takes On Scientology (and Doesn't Afraid of Anything)". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on June 8, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
^ Oltsik, Jon. "Edward Snowden Beyond Data Security", Network World, December 3, 2013. Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
^ Winkie, Luke (February 11, 2015). "The Ballad of Rog and Tyrone". The Verge. Retrieved August 16, 2021.
^ Waites, Rosie. "V for Vendetta masks: Who", BBC News, October 20, 2011.