Hacktivism does more good than harm

RESOLVED: Computer hacktivism does more good than harm. Before I present our main arguments I'd like to provide a proper framework for today's debate. DEFINITION: Hacktivism First, it's crucial that I will define the most important term in today's topic, "hacktivism." Hacktivism is a combination of the words "hack" and "activism," however, it is extremely important to remember that the word "hacktivism" is different in both meaning and spirit than the word "hack/hacking." Voters, please do not allow my opponent to trick you into believing that they mean the same thing. "Hack/Hacking" is defined by "breaking into a computer system" according to IBM's Internet Security Systems. On the other hand, "hacktivism" is the act of "a computer hacker whose activity is aimed at promoting a social or political cause" according to Oxford Dictionary. On that note, I'd like to warn my opponent in advance that any examples they cite which do not fall under this proper definition of hacktivism will be not allowed in this debate. STANDARD: Preponderance of Evidence Second, we need a standard or weighing mechanism to determine the winner of this debate. I believe that the standard of today's debate is very clear. The topic explicitly asks us whether or not hacktivism does "more good than harm" and therefore the standard should be preponderance of evidence. I believe the debater that provides the best and most impactful examples of the actual goods and harms, warranted by evidence, should win this round. With all of that said, I have several arguments… CONTENTION 1: Hacktivism Is Civil Disobedience Our first main argument is that "hacktivism" is a form of civil disobedience. ● Hacktivism is the modern online version of traditional protests, marches, and rallies. ● Acts of hacktivism are very similar to historical acts of civil disobedience in our country that took place around the time of the American Revolution and Civil Rights Movement. For example: ● Ex. Our founding fathers engaged in the "Boston Tea Party" and threw British shipments of tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act. They felt that the law violated their right to only be taxed by their own representatives. ● Ex. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama during the 1950s, which at the time was a crime and violated a city law that was 55 years old. ● Both of these examples involve individuals breaking the law, but doing so peacefully and in name of a noble and good cause. ● Hacktivists act in a similar manner: ● Ex. A hacktivist group organized a virtual sit-in demonstration to protest the State of Michigan's financial cuts to Medicaid, which negatively impacted the health and livelihood of sick and dying children and senior citizens. (CSO Security & Risk, May 2007) ● IMPACT: The important take away from this argument is, that hacktivism is simply the modern-day extension of civil disobedience. While it sometimes involves breaking the law, it is normally done in the name of a good cause: state's rights, civil rights, and in our hacktivism example, the rights of sick and dying children and senior citizens. CONTENTION 2: Hacktivism Promotes Free Speech & Democracy Our third main argument is that hacktivism promotes free speech and democracy. ● The vast majority of hacktivists are firm believers in free speech. Hacktivismo, a prominent hacktivist group, outlines this in their groups' declaration, which champions Article 19 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: "Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers." ● Free speech is the most important right of any democratic society, which is why it appears as the first amendment in our Bill of Rights. ● Hacktivists promote free speech and further democracy by allowing people to freely share and access information over the internet, as well as defend individuals from governments and corporations that would look to infringe upon that fundamental right. Two examples: ● Ex. A well-known young computer hacker, George Hotz, recently reverse engineered and modified a Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console, and shared his knowledge online. Under a recent ruling by The Library of Congress, Mr. Hotz's actions were perfectly legal by law. Despite this, Sony Computer Entertainment attempted to file charges against Mr. Hotz. The hacktivist community came to his defense, and responded with an attack against Sony's online gaming network. Professor David Touretzky, of Carnegie Mellon University, also came to Mr. Hotz defense, hosting a copy of George's work on the Carnegie Mellon University website, and releasing a statement decrying Sony for its shameful attempt to suppress legal free speech. ● Ex. The Arab Spring movement, revolutionary protests taking place in several countries in the Arab world, is being aided in large part to hacktivists. Many corrupt and oppressive governments in the Middle East censor their internet access as a form of control over their people. Hacktivists work to setup separate networks where people can freely exchange information and organize protests and demonstrations, as was the case in Syria for example. (Deutsche Welle – German News Outlet, August, 2011) ● IMPACT: The impact of these two examples is clear and powerful. On a micro level, an individuals' right to freedom of speech is protected against powerful corporations that try to misapply the law. On a macro level, entire countries of oppressed and mistreated people can gain a fundamental right they did not have, which has lead to the ousting and overthrow of corrupt leaders and governments in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya, as well as protests all over the Arab world. CONTENTION 3: Hacktivism Promotes Anti-War, Anti-Crime, & Anti-Terror Causes Our third main argument is that hacktivism promotes anti-war, anti-crime, and anti-terror causes. We have three examples we'd like to share. ● Ex. The first documented instance of hacktivism occurred in October of 1989. Hacktivists changed the login screens of U.S. Department of Energy and NASA computers, and displayed the message: "Worms Against Nuclear Killers: You talk of times of peace for all, and then prepare for war." (PC Magazine, September 2008) ● Ex. A member of a hacktivist group was kidnapped in Mexico recently while posting flyers and literature in a public place. The group responsible for the kidnapping was Zetas, which is regarded as one of the most dangerous and violent of all the Mexican drug cartels. Hacktivists have rallied together to demand the release of their kidnapped member, threatening to expose the names, identities, and personal information of the members of the cartel, as well as the corrupt journalists and police officers who aid them. (CNET News) ● Ex. A prominent hacktivist known as "the Jester" has actually helped to aid the U.S. and other countries currently fighting the War on Terror. "The Jester" is an ex-military member who works to protect the lives of soldiers like himself and promote national security. He has hacked and taken down websites that were notorious for leaking sensitive and classified documents pertaining to U.S. national security, and has also attacked and stopped the service of sites that are in line with the "Jihadist" movement- a movement in which radical Islamic extremist recruit individuals to commit acts of terrorism against the U.S. and our allies. (Infosec Island) IMPACT: The impact of all of these examples is very clear: hacktivism is doing a great deal to combat and stop war, crime, and terrorism through many different means. They spread peaceful anti nuclear war messages. They directly challenge violent criminal groups, such as Mexican drug cartels.