Anonymous targets Australian Government over Internet Censorship

Update Feb 2010: This post details the 2009 Anonymous attack. If you’re looking for details of the Feb 2010 attack, see:
Anonymous Targets Australian Gov. Over Censorship In Operation Titstorm
and
12 Hours Later, The Anonymous Campaign Against The Australian Government Continues

Original post:
Anonymous is planning to launch an attack on Australian Government websites to draw attention to Australia’s proposed draconian internet censorship laws.

The DoS attacks are due to begin at 7pm Australian Eastern Time (2am US PDT) Wednesday and will target the websites of The Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy (DBCDE), Minister for DBCDE Stephen Conroy, and the website of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA.)

In a message attached to the raid information posted to the “Operation Didgeridie” page on Insurgen.info, those behind the attacks start by noting that “Australia’s internet future is at stake. Kevin Rudd is attempting to execute a plan in which every part of Australia’s internet will be censored; even though you may not care about Australia, the world (i.e. USA and others) will eventually follow suit until free information ceases to exist.”

In a section titled “Decleration of War,” Anonymous writes

On the morning of September the 9th, the Government of Australia, pursuing its course of internet censorship, have shown to us that they have no response nor intend to provide one concerning their plan. The long-known and the long-expected has thus taken place. The forces endeavoring to belittle and undermine the freedom of the internet are now moving towards their final goals. Never before has there been a greater challenge to freedom of information, liberty and civilization. Delay invites great danger. Rapid and united effort by all of the peoples of the world who are determined to remain free will ensure a world victory of the forces of justice and of righteousness over the covert powers of censorship and of oppression. Australia is not alone in this regard: countless governments from across the world can also be exposed as fascists and dictators in this regard. Therefore a state of war between Anonymous and the Australian Government, and between Anonymous and all other governments which find themselves so inclined to impose censorship upon the internet, will be recognized.

I legally can’t say I’m in favor of what Anonymous is doing here, and I won’t be participating in the raid, however there will be many who support any effort to highlight the Australian Government’s attempt to introduce Chinese style censorship in a country that is suppose to be democratic and free.

The means used here are illegal, but likewise so should any attempt to censor free speech in Australia be as well; Anonymous are no more criminals morally than the Rudd Government and Stephen Conroy are, and I wouldn’t be the only person to suggest that Rudd and Conroy are the bigger criminals in this case.

More info on the raid when we have it.