The hacker group Anonymous has begun targeting Sony's online Playstation store today; a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack temporarily took down playstation.com (it was down earlier today, then was back up, and is now again down at the time of publishing). Sony is under fire because of its lawsuit against PS3 jailbreakers, including George Hotz, also known as GeoHot, and Graf_Chokolo.
Anonymous is also rallying participants to contribute to the DDoS attack. It appears to be a particularly successful attack: Sony is a massive corporation, but apparently an equally massive number of users are eager to show their anger with the company. Sony's official stance is as follows: if you crack your PS3, you'll get banned.
Most Anonymous are online-only attacks, but Operation Sony will also feature a protest that involves users leaving their computer. The organization has one smart trick up its sleeve: it is not picking a single location, so as not to limit maximum exposure. On April 16, 2011 Anonymous wants gamers to gather at their local Sony stores to complain in person.
This may just be Anonymous' biggest endeavor. In case you can't see the image above, here is the full text of Anonymous' message:
Dear
Greedy MotherfuckersSONY,Congratulations! You are now receiving the attention of Anonymous. Your recent legal actions against fellow internet citizens, GeoHot and Graf_Chokolo have been deemed an unforgivable offense against free speech and internet freedom, primary sources of free lulz (and you know how we feel about lulz.)
You have abused the judicial system in an attempt to censor information about how your products work. You have victimized your own customers merely for possessing and sharing information, and continue to target those who seek this information. In doing so you have violated the privacy of thousands of innocent people who only sought the free distribution of information. Your suppression of this information is motivated by corporate greed and the desire for complete control over the actions of individuals who purchase and use your products, at least when those actions threaten to undermine the corrupt stranglehold you seek to maintain over copywrong, oops, "copyright".
Your corrupt business practices are indicative of a corporate philosophy that would deny consumers the right to use products they have paid for, and rightfully own, in the manner of their choosing. Perhaps you should alert your customers to the fact that they are apparently only renting your products? In light of this assault on both rights and free expression, Anonymous, the notoriously handsome rulers of the internet, would like to inform you that you have only been "renting" your web domains. Having trodden upon Anonymous' rights, you must now be trodden on.
If you disagree with the disciplinary actions against your private parts domains, then we trust you can also understand our motivations for these actions. You own your domains. You paid for them with your own money. Now Anonymous is attacking your private property because we disagree with your actions. And that seems, dare we say it, "wrong." Sound familiar?
Let Anonymous teach you a few important lessons that your mother forgot:
1. Don't do it to someone else if you don't want it to be done to you.
2. Information is free.
3. We own this. Forever.As for the "judges" and complicit legal entities who have enabled these cowards: You are no better than SONY itself in our eyes and remain guilty of undermining the well-being of the populace and subverting your judicial mandate.
We are Anonymous.
We are Legion.
We do not Forgive.
We do not Forget.
Expect us.
