A video announcement by Anonymous stated, “The terrorists that are calling themselves the Islamic State are not Muslims. ISIS, we will hunt you, take down your sites, accounts, emails and expose you. From now on [there is] no safe place for you online. You will be treated like a virus, we are the cure…we don’t forget, we do not forgive. ISIS, expect us.”
Anonymous are technically savvy, moralist, populist, cyber activiststhat come from all walks of life, as admitted in the video. Their origins are highly Western, but they are an international techno-ideological movement. Due to the loose and leaderless structure of the collective, it is uncertain which actions are legitimate or representative of the group. Technically, anyone can claim a hactivist attack and affiliation by the group. However, if an action is taken without a virtual consensus of other affiliates or sponsors, that action will be condemned loudly as illegitimate.
So, in that respect, it resembles the structural model of Al Qaeda that relies more on inspiration, example and innovative new methods. Therefore, Anonymous has an advantage in being a non-religious cyber revolutionary movement that involves the citizenry of a multinational base in staunch opposition to the international jihadist movement led by Al Qaeda or ISIS.
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