Digital Democracy and the Impact of Technology on Governance and Politics: New Globalized Practices Christina Akrivopoulou Democritus University of Thrace, Greece Nicolaos Garipidis Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece Managing Director: Lindsay Johnston Editorial Director: Joel Gamon Book Production Manager: Jennifer Yoder Publishing Systems Analyst: Adrienne Freeland Development Editor: Monica Speca Assistant Acquisitions Editor: Kayla Wolfe Typesetter: Christina Henning Cover Design: Jason Mull Published in the United States of America by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 701 E. Chocolate Avenue Hershey PA 17033 Tel: 717-533-8845 Fax: 717-533-8661 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.igi-global.com Copyright © 2013 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publisher. Product or company names used in this set are for identification purposes only. Inclusion of the names of the products or companies does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI Global of the trademark or registered trademark. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Digital democracy and the impact of technology on governance and politics: new globalized practices / Christina Akrivo- poulou and Nicolaos Garipidis, editors. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Summary: “This book brings together a detailed examination of the new ideas on electronic citizenship, electronic democracy, e-governance, and digital legitimacy, combining theory with the study of law and public policy”-- Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-4666-3637-8 -- ISBN 978-1-4666-3638-5 (ebook) -- ISBN 978-1-4666-3639-2 (print & perpetual access) 1. Internet in public administration. 2. Public administration--Citizen participation--Technological innovations. I. Akrivopou- lou, Christina. II. Garipidis, Nicolaos, 1971- JF1525.A8D543 2013 352.3’802854678--dc23 2012045323 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. All work contributed to this book is new, previously-unpublished material. The views expressed in this book are those of the authors, but not necessarily of the publisher. 51 Chapter 5 Action Potentials: Extrapolating an Ideology from the Anonymous Hacker Socio-Political Movement (A Qualitative Meta-Analysis) Shalin Hai-Jew Kansas State University, USA ABSTRACT An ideology is defined as a set of ideas that “explains and evaluates social conditions, helps people un- derstand their place in society, and provides a program for social and political action” (Ball & Dagger, 2011, p. 4). As such, these concepts underpin the actions of various groups and organizations, includ- ing that of the Anonymous hacker group, which professes no ideology or creed. Rather, the group has styled itself as a kind of anarchic global brain connected by various spaces on the Internet. This work explores four main data streams to extrapolate the group’s ideology: the current socio-political context of hacking and hacktivism; the group’s self-definition (through its professed values); the group’s actions (through the “propaganda of the deed”); and the insights of others about the group This chapter defines the socio-technical context of this Anonymous hacker socio-political movement, which draws ideas from the Hacker Manifesto 2.0, which suggests the advent of a new economic system with the new technologi- cal vectors (mediums of communication). This movement is apparently pushing forth the advent of a new information regime in which the abstraction of ideas adds a “surplus” economic value that may be tapped. Styled as fighters against government tyranny, they are pushing hard against an international regime of intellectual property and information control by governments and corporations. This is being published in the spirit that (some) information wants to be free and that there is a value in direct discourse. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-3637-8.ch005 Copyright © 2013, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Action Potentials INTRODUCTION a so-called self-organizing group with libertarian and anarchist leanings, Anonymous draws from Especially in our age of globalized communica- The Hacker Manifesto and other artifacts of the tions, no amount of force can kill an infectious electronic age. An ideology (or “policy package”) inspiration—a potential source of countermo- is critical to a group because it is what is used bilization, especially when it is spread through to recruit group members and to rationalize the informal networks operating below the radar of group’s existence and its actions in the world. An state bureaucracy (Kurth Cronin, 2003, p. 143). ideology is defined as a set of ideas that “explains and evaluates social conditions, helps people We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not understand their place in society, and provides a forgive. We do not forget. Expect us (Anonymous). program for social and political action” (Ball & Dagger, 2011, p. 4). Ironically, Anonymous claims Whatever code we hack, be it programming lan- to have no ideology but does act on some core ideas guage, poetic language, math or music, curves or (this strategy may be a part of the group’s messag- colourings, we create the possibility of new things ing and a kind of strategic ambiguity to make it entering the world. Not always great things, or more acceptable to many self-identifying members even good things, but new things. In art, in sci- who opt-in on particular operations). Others have ence, in philosophy and culture, in any production observed that this organization has “no coherent of knowledge where data can be gathered, where ideology, but a track record of considerable dam- information can be extracted from it, and where in age” (Sengupta, 2012). Their expressed values are that information new possibilities for the world are a body of sentiments more than a comprehensive produced, there are hackers hacking the new out worldview. The organization may be conceptual- of the old. While hackers create these new worlds, ized as self-organizing, with members opting in we do not possess them. That which we create is and out, and animating ideas capable of emerging mortgaged to others, and to the interests of others, from any sector is this dispersed organization to states and corporations who control the means (in the study of organizations, a lack of a strong for making worlds we alone discover. We do not core ideology means lesser abilities to maintain own what we produce—it owns us (Wark, 2004). followership beyond the near-term). While the organization claims not to have The Anonymous hacker group has presented any ideology or creed [which may be part of an itself in the public media as an amorphous leader- approach of “strategic ambiguity” (leaving open less group that is all-pervasive but also nowhere. a broad range of options by not committing to a Its role is to keep governments accountable by particular approach) to avoid alienating potential restricting their instincts against totalitarian con- followers], this chapter takes the approach that trol (of information, of privacy, and of individual “character reveals” over time. It is wholly pos- rights of association). It has a masked leader who sible to reverse-engineer at least a partial ideology is like the proverbial Everyman. It argues for a based on the group’s actions and public statements. kind of individual and group freedoms that may For a global-level group with no figurehead, no be achieved with hacking, and it is guided by charismatic spokesperson (and an anti-leader and some of the ideas of the modern age—such as anti-celebrity ethic), no dramatis personae (except the idea that “information wants to be free.” Its a mask), and computer synthesized voiceovers of media optics are self-aware and self-promoting, videos, this group all the more needs something an effort to reach out to their constituents and to to appeal to virtual followers: win over more powerful allies to their cause. As 52 Action Potentials Although there is no authority figure or any lead- liberating ideologies. MacCallum’s triadic ing group in Anonymous, there is ‘policy, ethical model of freedom shows how ideologies concep- sensibilities, and norms, all of which develop over tualize an agent, an obstacle, and a goal, with time and often continuously formed and reformed ideologies enabling the achievements of particu- in reaction to historical events’ (Coleman, as cited lar goals. Because people tend to sense-make and in Ohhashi, 2011, p. 5). are activated by ideas, ideologies are especially critical to understand. In human history, large Its international brand consists of its logo, its social movements and political regimes have been press coverage, and its ideas. The ideas then have harnessed and led for generations based on the to trigger its members, who ostensibly could hail power of organizing ideas—from democracy to from anywhere in the world. Virtually every public imperialism to socialism to fascism/totalitarian- message, digital attack, legal action, ad private ism, and other forms. If ideas spark people to security firm research into the group leaves some action and risk-taking (if they have repercussions), publicly accessible residual trail. This chapter the motivating ideas that shape an “authorizing examines the mass media messages (YouTube™ environment” (a context in which certain actions videos, signs, and official statements) designed are considered normal and acceptable, but which to rally supporters and educate the wider pub- would not be allowable in other contexts) should lics about their concerns, and the “propaganda be understood. In light of the research that people of the deed” of this organization to extrapolate strive to behave in a moral way even in “anony- this group’s ideology.