Hacktivism & Hate

I've been thinking a lot about "hacktivism" or hacking with a political intent and how it might be relevant for thinking about countering hate online and internationally. There have been a couple of incident of "hacking against hate" that I could find over at Wired, one in 1997 and one in 1999, but not much since then.

I can see both sides of this. On the one hand, the first amendment defenders and free-speechers are against this kind of action against hate groups online. And, it's not been effective over the long term. On the other hand, it is immediately and swiftly effecient in removing hate speech online in the short-term. And, it's completely effectual across national and international boundaries whereas the laws of individual countries have not been as effectual.