Does It Matter If Anonymous Is Paradoxical?

In her article "Our Weirdness is Free: The Logic of Anonymous", Gabriella Coleman examines how the hacker group Anonymous has morphed from 4Chan-based trolls to social and political activists standing up for the rights of others. Despite the seeming nobility of Anonymous’s new form, Coleman is careful to point out that, while they may appear to be noble on the surface, Anonymous actually has a contradictory and disparate nature. They engage in petty pranksterism with those they do not agree with, sending unpaid pizzas to their houses and prank calling them. They at once act mature yet like children, making it difficult to definitively define them as good, bad, or existing in some state of moral ambiguity in which the subject only does what they want.  Despite the paradoxical nature of their character, Coleman shows that Anonymous is also capable of defending free speech, advocating for human rights, and seeking to better the world. Anonymous’s more positive side was again showcased earlier this year in the publicizing of a much-ignored rape case in Steubenville, Ohio.

New arrests have been made in a case where in 2012, two football players from Steubenville High School sexually assaulted a drunk girl at a party. Despite the evidence, little action was taken and the case did not receive much media attention. Four months later, Anonymous heard about it and helped the case garner the attention it needed to get national news coverage. Anonymous and Knight Sec members found and posted video and photographic evidence of the crime online, making it impossible for authorities or media to ignore. These actions were likely not entirely legal, if one man's claims of having his house raided by the FBI looking for evidence of the hacker groups is to be believed. The two boys were charged and detained, likely until they turn 21. Now, four officials have been charged in connection with the case. A superintendent and three other school employees were charged with varying counts and may face jail time. 

Amongst claims that Anonymous still has roots as a trolling group who strives for lulz, their actions in the Steubenville case prove that, even if this is true, it is not what needs to be focused upon. Whether or not Anonymous has trolled people before is insignificant considering the substantial role they played in bringing the Steubenville case to the media’s attention and exposing the lack of action surrounding it. Without Anonymous’s participation, it is unlikely the case would have made national news or gotten the attention it did, and thus it is highly unlikely that these officials would have been charged at all. They would still be in schools, working with children when, according to the charges, the individuals allow underage drinking and contribute to delinquency, as well as fail to report child abuse, among other charges. So while Anonymous may have a paradoxical character as Coleman puts it, they also do a lot of good. They help people who have been wronged because they believe it’s the right thing to do, not because they have ulterior motives of trolling and getting lulz. When it comes down to it, although the overall character of Anonymous may be difficult to judge, their actions viewed individually show that they are capable of more than people think.