Virtual sabotage and computer blockades as strategies for action dynamics and freedom of information

Authors

  • Noelia García Estévez Universidad de Sevilla

Keywords:

technological attacks, computer viruses, hackerism, freedom of information, activism.

Abstract

In the digital environment, collective imaginaries, identities and social conflicts are promoted. At the same time, new avenues of action and citizen participation are implemented. This has led in recent years to the development of a series of movements which arose on the Internet, all of which have a significant technological component. This cyberactivism shows a more radical aspect in which the hacker stands as a fighter against cybercontrol and social injustice. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the development and the current state of the hacktivist actions that use such techniques as technological attacks or computer viruses for socio-political protests and the promotion of freedom of information. Movements such as Anonymous, LulzSec or WikiLeaks show the upswing of this type of organizations, which are not without controversy and which are producing a major split between their supporters and detractors.

Keywords: technological attacks, computer viruses, hackerism, freedom of information, activism.

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Author Biography

Noelia García Estévez, Universidad de Sevilla

Noelia García Estévez es profesora de la Facultad de Comunicación de la Universidad de Sevilla. En 2013 defendió su tesis doctoral Presencia de las redes sociales y medios de comunicación: representación y participación periodística en el nuevo contexto social.

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Issue

Núm. 17 (2016-2017) : Nous mitjans: continguts i recepció

Section

Articles

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