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FBI Put Hactivist Jeremy Hammond On a Terrorist Watchlist

Posted by timothy on from the watch-you-watch-yourself dept.

blottsie writes The Federal Bureau of Investigation put Anonymous hacker Jeremy Hammond on a secret terrorist watchlist, according to confidential records obtained by the Daily Dot. The records further reveal how the FBI treats cybercrimes and shines a rare light on the expanding definitions of terrorism used by U.S. law enforcement agencies.

7 of 127 comments (clear)

  1. As always the definition of a terrorist by waspleg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    is anyone that they see as threatening TLA power - particularly for the FBI (communism anyone?).

    1. Re:As always the definition of a terrorist by davydagger · · Score: 5, Insightful
      basicly the definition of terrorism as defined by the government is nothing more than "dissent", which is the real crime, and acts of actual violence against persons and destruction of property are merely secondary offenses to the main crime of dissent.

      Tell yourself again, we live in a free country.

      Also, ten years for at worst is some jackass stunt. Gets put in solidarity for being a communist. Related is that as soon as a similar man, weev gets let of prison, he goes full on NatSoc, after charges are mysteriously dropped, and going out to get a nazi tattoo.

      Does this smell like the government propping up fascism, or does it smell like the government propping up fascism?

    2. Re:As always the definition of a terrorist by Frobnicator · · Score: 5, Insightful

      basicly the definition of terrorism as defined by the government is nothing more than "dissent"

      Did you read the article? According to the definition issued by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in March 2013 ... an individual may be nominated to the TSDB watchlist for suspected acts [... that threats to society ... ] or "influence the policy of a government."

      If your suspected action threatens to influence government policy, you're good enough for a terrorist watchlist.

      Let's throw all of Washington DC into gitmo. They're threatening to influence government policy. Terrorists, the lot of them.

      --
      //TODO: Think of witty sig statement
    3. Re:As always the definition of a terrorist by Bacon+Bits · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Terrorism" is the new word for "sedition". It turns out "treason" is really difficult to prosecute, but if you change the crime of "acts of war" into a generic and malleable term like "terrorism", you can throw all kinds of nonsense in there that the government considers subversive. Now you don't actually have to do anything wrong to be guilty. You just have to make people afraid that you are!

      --
      The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
  2. Who ISN'T on a terror watch list these days by nehumanuscrede · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Say something the government doesn't like: Watch List
    Participate in a protest the government doesn't like: Watch List
    Buy too many guns or ammo in X period of time: Watch List
    Visit some country our government doesn't like: Watch List
    Donate to a charity or organization our government doesn't like: Watch List
    Use VPN's or TOR or tech to try to keep some privacy: Probably on a Watch List

    I'm sure I could expand this list quite a bit were I to put some effort into it. But you get the point.

    1. Re:Who ISN'T on a terror watch list these days by khr · · Score: 5, Funny

      Say something the government doesn't like: Watch List
      Participate in a protest the government doesn't like: Watch List
      Buy too many guns or ammo in X period of time: Watch List
      Visit some country our government doesn't like: Watch List
      Donate to a charity or organization our government doesn't like: Watch List
      Use VPN's or TOR or tech to try to keep some privacy: Probably on a Watch List

      I'm sure I could expand this list quite a bit were I to put some effort into it. But you get the point.

      Uses the Internet: Watch List.
      Uses a cell phone: Watch List.
      Uses a credit card: Watch List.

      Not on a Watch List: Watch List

  3. hacktivist? by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 5, Informative
    This guy wasn't just any "hacktivist", he did some pretty high profile stuff:

    Arrested in March 2012, Hammond is currently serving the remainder of a 10-year prison sentence for his involvement in a series of high-profile cyberattacks targeting federal agencies, private government contractors, and police departments.

    I have my doubts whether "cyberattacks" (presumably things like denial of service, taking advantage of weak passwords, etc.) should receive such harsh penalties. But given that such actions are treated as more serious than many violent crimes, it doesn't seem surprising or inconsistent for the federal government to want to keep an eye on him. The point is: if you don't like what happened to Hammond, complaining about him ending on a terrorist watch list won't do any good; what you should complain about is the harsh laws that made him a serious felon in the eye of the law to begin with.