Safety: one of the main human needs for survival has thrived for decades, however never fully achieved. The United States government prioritizes it's citizen's safety and acts to keep everyone safe, however do they go too far? As technology grows, the world around us changes drastically and protests, movements, and even wars will never be the same. Anonymous, one of the main forces that effect this, has been labeled as vigilantes, dangerous, and even "terrorists" to some degree. They are a group of activists and hackers all around the world that utilize the internet as their battlefield. They go by the phrase "We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget." They are usually symbolized by a Guy Fawkes mask; a white mask with Guy Fawkes, a Catholic English who fought for the Spanish in the early 1600's.He was behind "Gunpowder Plot" to blow up the House of Lords in London. It is his face, with his pointed mustache, smiling. This became their symbol when it was used in James McTeigue's film, "V for Vendetta", and showed up on internet forums. In the film, the protagonist, a vigilante that goes my the name "V" wears it as he fights injustice, corruption, and tyranny in future Britain. He goes outside the law to achieve what he believed was right in his mind. After the film came out, Anonymous realized that they stand for the same qualities. Soon after, believing that they fight for the same cause so they took on the mask and later it became their major world wide symbol. What makes them dangerous is that they cannot "be traced to a building or to a country"(Guzman). Anonymous can be found anywhere where corruption or injustice is involved. Making their voice heard all around the world, Anonymous's actions have ranged from hacking and taking down corrupt government websites, to singlehandedly starting riots. Not only do they work against different corrupt governments worldwide, but they have also positively impacted society around them by shedding light on negative and inhumane actions being done in their communities. Having so much power, they have been on the radar of the United States government as a threat for years. The United States government is now taking matters more seriously and giving out maximum sentences to Anonymous members who have been caught. A well known example of this is when the FBI caught Hector Xavier Monsegu , who goes by the name "Sabu". He was sentenced a maximum sentence unless he took the deal offered to him by the FBI: to join them and work with them to find and arrest other Anonymous members. He was arrested secretly, and he worked for the FBI undercover with a low profile so others would not know. However should the United States government place them so high on the threat list and invest maximum time and money to stop them? They do not pose a threat to America and work as a force for justice. Even though their actions are extreme in some cases, Anonymous ultimately has a positive impact on society while negatively impacting corrupt governments around the world.

Anonymous positively impacts the society around us in many ways. They help bring inhumane and unjust actions to the public's attention. They take situations that have been hidden from the general public and manage to squeeze it on headline news. One well known protest that positively impacted the society was the hacking of Wakayama Prefecture's website. They utilize their skills and hacking knowledge to make their voice heard around the world. Japanese fishers in Wakayama have a common and widely known practice of hunting dolphins. The fishers have been killing dolphins for years. They were trapping and slaughtering dolphins in a coastal village. Little to no one knew about what was going on. It was either overlooked or people did not know the slaughtering existed.  Once this was brought to Anonymous's attention, immediately acting, they brought down the website and tweeted about it, allowing masses of people to know what was going on. After the website went back up, they tweeted again, this time warning that "the website will be taken down again if villagers in the coastal town of Taiji"(AHN) ignore Anonymous and continue their practice in killing dolphins. Following these events, the Ambassador of the United States informed Japan of her disapproval of the trapping and killing dolphins, stating that it was "inhumane and opposed by the U.S. government"(AHN). Another example that shows Anonymous's positive impact to the society around them was when they took down a website of Hal Turner, a white supremacist in December 2006. Not only was the website taken down, but Turner was forced to pay expensive bandwidth bills. One final example of Anonymous's intervention with the society around and going outside the law to obtain justice is "Project Chanology". In January 2008, Anonymous attacked the Church of Scientology. The Church of Scientology, "a cult-like religion which allegedly imprisons its dissident member"(Love) made it to Anonymous's radar. They were imprisoning the members, and inhumane activities were taking place. Once Anonymous found out about this and decided to act, not only did they attack their websites, but they physically protested the church. These occurrences are not rare and are examples of the many positive actions that Anonymous has carried out for the society around them.

Another aspect which Anonymous positively impacts in the world is corruption, mainly in governments and countries around the world. They do not attempt to hide their actions, rather they come out and say it: "To the corrupt  --  fear us"(Murdoch)  --  Anonymous. This is why they are successful with many followers; they are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. They expose corruption. They go after corrupted nations and bring their work to light by the power of technology. One of the main events where an example of this is seen is when Anonymous released information that they had obtained from a forum for hackers in February 2011. By finding this information and then later releasing it to the public, Anonymous had enabled "security firm Mandiant ... to use this data to link the Chinese military to cyber-attacks against the U.S."(Love). Yes this information may have been illegally obtained; however, not only did it stop cyber attackers from carrying out future attacks, but also aided the U.S. government. It is events like these that should not be overlooked. They are not a poison for the United States of America, but rather an ally. Another example that shows how Anonymous goes after corrupted governments are the launched attacks "infiltrating websites in Singapore and the Philippines"(Murdoch). The activists hacked over five Philippine government agency websites. The Philippine government has not been delivering it's citizens the things it claimed it would deliver. Once hacked, Anonymous posted messages on them urging the general public to march against the corruption. Among the hacked websites was the Office of Ombudsman. There, once users clicked on the message, they were "redirected to a post lambasting the government"(Murdoch). The message read "The government, in many was, has failed the Filipino citizens ... let us remind the government that fairness justice and freedom are more than just words"(Murdoch). Some of the hacked websites are still being hacked to this day, among the websites being hacked are http://omb.gov.ph/,  http://bolinao.gov.ph/home/, http://www.vigancity.gov.ph/, and http://magarao.gov.ph/.Afraid and under attacks/investigations, Benigo Aquino, the Philippine president, was going on television channels and claiming that he is not a thief.  Another example that shows Anonymous's intervention in corrupt countries and governments is their threat to Singapore. Strait Times newspaper, a pro-government website was hacked. The cause was Anonymous "opposing recently introduced licensing rules for news websites in Singapore"(Murdoch). Journalists and the news were distorting words. Anonymous left a video that warns how they have faced "more secure corporations such as the FBI and urges 'fellow Singaporean sister and brothers' to start a public protest ... on November 5"(Murdoch).  These examples are a few of many where Anonymous has stood up in what they believe in and helped fight against corruption.

Having so much power brings problems and responsibility. It makes Anonymous dangerous. It is a common fact: the more power one has, the more of a effect and impact they have to people, places, and the society around them. They can go in virtually anyone's private life and information with a click of a button. They can take down and put up websites with a click of that same button. They have the power to control masses of people to protest, all from sitting behind a computer screen. They are puppet masters, and society and corrupted victims are their puppets and voices. No citizen should have so much power, and this is why it is illegal. They go outside the law without consulting anyone, and it is dangerous. It makes U.S citizens and the government feel threatened, vulnerable, and uneasy, and it should. It is understandable why some label Anonymous as a threat and hate them. Technically they are criminals, and some believe they should be prioritized to the top of the wanted list and trailed to the full extent of the American law. They sometimes take advantage of their power. An example of this is a recent event that went viral on the internet when Anonymous hacked Fox News after Fox down talked them. During an interview on live national television, Anonymous intercepted the interview and displayed a screen of a man speaking with a Guy Fawkes mask on. The voice was altered so it could not be traced. In the video, they claimed that Fox has now grabbed their attention and should be careful. This was because Fox supposedly "ravaged" Anonymous's name. Anonymous then claims that they are not a secret club, and they do not meet in a club house, mocking Fox News. Another incident is when they hacked U.S. files and took personal information. It is true that they have accessed U.S. citizen's personal information and acquired credit card number, passwords etc. However Anonymous did not go farther and steal or endanger lives with this information, thus giving them a sense of trust. They only go after corruption and unjust actions, mostly in foreign lands. The U.S. government should not be worried nor should they make it a priority to go out, get counter hackers, or find Anonymous members, for there are much more urgent and important matters at hand. This is not to be confused with taking precautions. Precautions should always be taken, however not blown out of proportion. Anonymous has helped more than hurt. They fight for those who need help. Even though their methods may be different and extreme, these "hackavists", or hacking activists, have proved to be loyal to justice and humanity. They almost fight on the same side as the United States government. Not only do they not target innocent people, but they have even helped the United States government by finding cyber-attackers and reporting information about who they are. These protestors take more extreme actions than others, however they stand for justice, equality, and what they believe in.

Anonymous manages to make their voice heard anywhere they need it to be heard. They are a "loosely associated international network of activists and hackers ... known for highly publicized cyber-attacks around the world"(Murdoch). They were officially established in 2003, and have remained as a voice in society since then. Once the sword and firearm was the only way to start a war, but technology is the weapon of today. Wars, protests, and movements can be started and finished from behind a computer screen, and the computer is the new battlefield of war. Anonymous has positively impacted the society around them. They clean up corruption where it is needed the most and restore trust in a corrupted government. Time Magazine labeled Anonymous among the "100 most influential people" in the word in 2012. Slowly they are gaining the trust of the general public through the moral actions that they do. Even though they may blur the lines and go outside the law, their ends justify their means. Whether it is a ten year old kid thinking that their hacking methods are "cool", or a thirty year old adult that believes that they better society and clean up corruption and expose evil doers, Anonymous's actions are being noticed. As technology grows and becomes a larger part of our lives, Anonymous will have a louder voice in society. Whether it is to better the society around them by doing something as simple as bringing down one website to put an end to dolphin slaughter, or by leaking cyber-attackers to the United States Government, they are positively impacting humanity. Shedding light on hidden situations, they alert the general public when something unfair or wrong is happening.

While Anonymous is notorious for mainly working from behind a computer screen, they are also known to physically protest. In the past, they have lead physical protests around the world while they wear Guy Fawkes masks and dress in black. The mask not only hides their identity for their protection, but also symbolize how they can be anyone, anywhere. Their voice is being amplified by the mistreated, and those fighting against corruption.  These "self-proclaimed beacon holders" are a necessary evil, and with all of the evil happening around us today, they are the lesser one. If I was put in a situation and had a chance  where I could bring aid and justice to a group of people that crucially need it, but I had to use a computer to go outside the law, I know I would take it... wouldn't you? They symbolize us all. They fight for the "little guy" and those who do not have strong voices in society.Anonymous should not be prioritized on the United States government list, and activists caught should not be so heavily charged. Anonymous stands up for what they believe in, and it is something that this world truly needs today.
