24/7 Newsfeed

Put Reason 24/7 on Your Site

RSS

Follow Reason 24/7 on Twitter and via RSS

Anonymous Hacks MIT Websites in Protest Over Aaron Swartz's Prosecution, Suicide

Hactivist collective Anonymous briefly took over some of MIT's websites earlier this morning to protest against the role computer crime laws may have played in the death of Aaron Swartz.

Reddit co-founder and internet activist Swartz was found hanged in his apartment in New York on Friday, having taken his own life at the age of 26. He was under indictment for computer and wire fraud, facing fines and over 30 years jail time, and some are now blaming strict computer laws and the US justice system for his suicide.

Anonymous hackers posted their message in red on a black background, claiming that Swartz's prosecution was unjust and his actions were political activism, not criminal activities.

Source: The Register. Read full article. (link)

Editor's Note: We invite comments and request that they be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of Reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment for any reason at any time.

advertisement