Don’t you just love the Internet? Isn’t it amazing? It allows us to maintain complete anonymity, feed our shopping habits, collect information, download illeg—eerr I mean download music and it also allows anonymous hackers to take down evil corporations. Yes you read that right!
Last week, December 5, 2011, a group of Anonymous hackers hacked into Monsanto’s PR Firm and caused quite a bit of confusion. Monsanto, who was recently declared “the worst company” of 2011 by Naturalsociety.com, have been under fire for a while by their unethical business practices. They have famously been investigated in the documentary Food Inc. for forcing farmers (both home and abroad) to use their genetically altered products.
Following hacking, Monsanto’s Public Relations firm (also known as the Bivens Group) responded with the following statement: “Our Cyber Infrastructure has recently been put under attack. We are evaluating the extent of the intrusion, and apologize for any downtime and issues this may cause you. It is not yet determined what the motives behind the attack are, or what, if any data has been compromised. We will continue to keep you up to date, and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience.” Last Monday, Anonymous also released their own statement which stated, “Operation End Monsanto is still very much up and running. Pwnage will continue indefinitely.”
This is a bold move by the Anonymous hacktivists group. However, considering Monsanto’s own crimes against public health and the environment, this attack seems justified. We, as a people, should have the right to decide what to eat and farmers should be able to plant and grow crops freely. Thomas Jefferson once said, “If people let the government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as the souls who live under tyranny.”
Til next time, stay Cranky My Friends.
-Cranky Scholar-