- Rumors of Anonymous hackers’ next mission, Operation Blackout
- Recording artists sue for their slice of the digital music pie
- Microsoft’s strategy for fighting trademark-infringing botnets
- Are bloggers really journalists?
- House GOP block measure that would prevent employers from requiring employees to disclose their Facebook passwords
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Though the threat of “Operation Blackout” seems to have passed without event, it is interesting to consider the criminal sanctions “Anonymous” could have faced. While protests certainly are protected under the First Amendment, blocking the use of the internet borders that line of protection. Should the level of harm caused by such a shut down reflect on the punishment “Anonymous” would face? Or was their plan (originally to flood the servers, not to actively destroy them), outside of the realm of regulation? The First Amendment is willing to tolerate burning of American flags, but not “speech” that incites “imminent lawlessness” under Brandenberg. Anonymous’ speech is likely to be labeled the latter.