It’s only the second day of the new year and things are off to a flying start. Already, we have a breaking hacking and surveillance story going hand in hand.
Social media sites Skype, Twitter and Facebook were hacked into. A group called Syrian Electronic Army claimed responsibility. They’re calling for an end to spying, in the wake of Edward Snowden’s revelations of 2013. It’s reported no user information is at risk. But the SEA (Syrian Electronic Army) is not subtle or shy in voicing their intentions. One Skype blog from them says, “Stop Spying on People!” This isn’t the first time the SEA made their appearance known.
As most of you know, there is a bloody and deadly civil war going on in Syria with no end in sight. The SEA openly supports embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Throughout 2013, they’ve hacked into New York Times, British Broadcasting Company (BBC), Financial Times, New York Stock Exchange and Twitter. But this is the first time they’ve addressed the spying controversy. Which makes me think. I agree with their stance on ‘stop spying’. But I’m skeptical of their motives. They could be using this subject to win people over in order to gain support for their cause. Al-Assad has allegedly done some terrible things (from what I’ve been hearing, the rebel fighters aren’t any better). So I need to be real careful before I pat these guys on the back for speaking what so many Americans are feeling. Is the SEA really sincere in their speaking out against government surveillance?