NZ Parliament DDoS a success: Anonymous

By Juha Saarinen on May 3, 2011 1:37 PM
Filed under Security

Anonymous continues copyright fight.

The hacktivist collective Anonymous said it has disrupted access to the New Zealand Parliament website to protest against the country’s new three-strikes copyright law.

In a message sent to media and posted on YouTube, Anonymous said it was “disappointed with many of [the New Zealand Government’s] actions” and that it won’t sit around watching people getting their Internet freedoms and rights taken away.

The Parliament site was operational but access to it has been sporadic over the past two days.

Anonymous said it was protecting the citizens of New Zealand and sending a message to the Government in the form of a protest by attacking the website.

The hacktivists said they would continue to take down the Government website unless the copyright law was repealed.

The new law - due to come into effect in September - assumed internet users who received infringement notices for downloading copyright-protected media were guilty.

After users received three notices users could be taken to a Copyright Tribunal by rights owners.

Account holders would have to prove that they were not guilty of copyright infringement and, if they failed, faced fines of up to NZ$15,000 ($11,000).

8 comments in this discussion

"No need for an apology, no offense was taken. I was just a little surprised (for want of a better word) I agree with the rest of your post, the average Joe won't comprehend the ramifications of ..."

By realitybites

Tags

ddos, copyright, piracy, anonymous, youtube, new zealand government, anonops, takedown, tango down

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Comments: 8

realitybites May 3, 2011 2:25 PM	Is this not a decision for the citizens of NZ ? or does Anonymous think the citizens of NZ are not capable of making this decision themselves ? Irrespective of the validity of the motives of Anonymous, one has to ask what is the difference between denying/disrupting access through the use of DoS/DDoS or through government legislation ?
Ace May 3, 2011 5:05 PM	What 'success' did Anonymous achieve? Did NZ repeal their laws or something?
Mark D May 4, 2011 3:03 PM	Doesn't this law translate to: Guilty until proven innocent? To bad if you don't know how to secure your wireless connection.
realitybites May 4, 2011 3:37 PM	@ Mark D - Yes, it's a bad law and it shouldn't be passed, but that's a decision that should be made by the people of NZ. While I can understand the groups reasons, I don't agree with their methods. After explaining the situation to my wife she uttered one word, extortion. NZ is a democracy, if the people of NZ want this law then that is their right. IF they don't want the law and the Government passes it anyway then they can boot them at the next election and repeal it - working as intended. Anonymous are doing themselves no favours with their methods in this particular instance. Edited by realitybites: 4/5/2011 03:41:39 PM
Tom Brown May 5, 2011 8:32 AM	realitybytes, I didn't know it was passed at referendum! I am amused as you cry out against other governments laws yet stand up and fight for this one on the basis of peoples choice. I say bull,you are a surrogate of AFACT, no peoples choice just big business being animals and lackey government being lapdogs, someone will probably get a knighthood for services to the Crown. The NZ liberal government has made it illegal to download something. A new law a new illegality, just what AFACT wants, now they are going to our government and argue the precedence. They have a toe in and the end is clear, that is the power of money. By the way ACE the action demonstrates not everyone is asleep. Government reaction to this is generating tomorrows underground, tomorrows divide between the haves and the others, martial laws like the one in NZ (as the onus is on the respondent and the judges are the plaintiff) will only lead to ever greater totalitarianism. Watch the movie V for vendetta (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434409/plotsummary).
realitybites May 5, 2011 11:28 AM	@ Tom Brown - "I say bull,you are a surrogate of AFACT" Ok so what part of "Yes, it's a bad law and it shouldn't be passed" did you not understand? As for the rest of your post.. Tinfoil hat club -> that way..
Tom Brown May 5, 2011 2:27 PM	Realitybites, you are right and I apologise for over reacting to your comments and thankyou for replying. You and Ace see things from a conservative view. There has to be some outcry otherwise people will simply not see the laws and their injustice, how often do you follow all the laws that relate to you until they impact you. The NZ government has made a law and I bet most New Zealanders do not appreciate that the application of this law is not independent. Unfortunately the people who will be effected are those who do not have the money to pay the fines or argue the wrongness in the public arena. Not like those who can take out million dollar advertising campaigns as we see here with John Singleton against the gambling law proposals.
realitybites May 5, 2011 4:44 PM	No need for an apology, no offense was taken. I was just a little surprised (for want of a better word) I agree with the rest of your post, the average Joe won't comprehend the ramifications of this law until it has them by the throat. My hope is that when that happens they will do something about it. The original intent of my posts was to point out that Anonymous are going about this the wrong way, all they will do is get the avergae Joe offside. They are a smart bunch of people and I find it difficult to believe that this is the only way they can get their message to the masses.