Anonymous Announces Vengeance On North Korea For Sony Hack With #OpRIPNK
The infamous hacker collective Anonymous has announced that they’ll be responding to North Korea for the Sony hack. The hackers known as #GOP, or Guardians of Peace, who are believed to be a North Korean group, have been compared to Anonymous, and Anon has expressed agreement with them on some matters. However, now that Sony has pulled The Interview from theaters in response to the hacking and threats, Anon has turned their eyes on North Korea in a less agreeable light.
Thursday evening into Friday morning, one of Anonymous’ many Twitter accounts offered responses to the Sony hack, and the decision to pull the movie, hinting that Anonymous would be offering the movie to the world themselves.
About the @SonyPictures hack by North Korea, well let's just say that—
Oh hold on, popcorn's ready.
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
You're gonna let Kim Junk Uno and his minions boss you, a multimillion dollar corporation responsible for billions of dollars in revenue?
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
Come on @Sony, where's your game?…
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
Anonymous then touched on the bigger picture: allowing another country’s dictator (or those who support him) to make decisions about free speech in America doesn’t set a great precedent. They’re not alone in saying this. According to CNBC, Obama called Sony’s reaction to the hack a mistake on Friday. Much of Hollywood has made similar statements, saying that North Korea shouldn’t decide what’s shown in American theaters, and that Sony is giving in to terrorism.
If North Korea can do this to Sony, a "credible" and "legitimate" conglomerate, who's to say they can't do it to their next major target?
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
Anon then went on to promise the movie to the world for Christmas (and to clarify their position on the Sony hack).
Why are people asking us to leak the movie?
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
We're saving it as a Christmas present for you.. #winkwink
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
We're not with either side, we just want to watch the movie too…and soon you too will be joining us. Sorry, @SonyPictures.
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
Several theaters had discussed showing Team America, which also includes a less-than-favorable portrayal of North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, in place of The Interview, but according to NPR, Paramount Pictures nixed that too. Anonymous cited this as part of a pattern, suggesting that it might go further still.
Banning movies only because North Korea's dictator disapproves.
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
What's next, @RedDawnFilm?!
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
All of this led up to the final statement: Anonymous would respond to the Sony hack and to North Korea.
Operation RIP North Korea, engaged. #OpRIPNK
— TheAnonMessage (@TheAnonMessage) December 19, 2014
In the past, Anonymous has taken systems offline: the Westboro Baptist Church website, police departments, and others.
Anonymous hasn’t stated explicitly what it aims to do to North Korea over the Sony hack, but past efforts from the hacker collective suggest that Kim Jong Un might find official computer systems nonfunctional in days to come.
