Hacker group Anonymous decided to lay down the gauntlet and bring their massive power against Sony after the company decided to undertake legal action against George Hotz and the other hackers who found a way through the Playstation 3's security.
The Playstation Network had seen network maintenance and service outages for the rest of the day following those remarks by the powerful and famous hacker group. People were having trouble accessing the servers and network following those remarks, leading many to believe that Anonymous had fulfilled their threat to attack Sony's web domains.
Sony would originally only say that the PSN was undergoing "sporadic maintenance" via Twitter and wouldn't confirm any kind of cyber attack or the presence of Anonymous. Late last night Patrick Seybold, Sr. Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media at SCEA, finally issued an official statement regarding the mess on the PSN via the Playstation Blog: "We're aware that some of you have been experiencing intermittent service on PSN today. We're working on finding a solution, and will report back here as soon as it's resolved." They still have yet to acknowledge any kind of cyber attack or Anonymous itself, which may only serve to enrage them even more. They probably want the credit they so obviously deserve.
While there are legal grounds for Sony's actions regarding Hotz, breaker of the iPhone and apparent tech celebrity, and others, Anonymous does have a point. These people are only trying to help out the consumers in a way that big corporations such as Sony would not be able to. Sure they aren't going about it in the best way that'll cause the change they seek, but a revolutions requires a few radicals like these to get it started. They believe that Sony is violating privacy of users, which is the case on the surface, but with shady user agreements and everything like that, Anonymous likely doesn't have a legal leg to stand on and neither do Hotz or his friends. That's just the way it goes, agree with it or not. But as long as they remain anonymous, they're safe. As for Hotz, he can proceed at his own risk.
Here's Anonymous' Statement Regarding the Attacks:
"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 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."
