It is important to note that Anonymous is a very decentralized group that operates very freely and independently of any singular objective or governance. Nevertheless, it seems determined toward the same goal of ensuring the continued freedom of people across the world by attacking what they perceive as evil any way they can. Typically their methods involve Denial of Service to websites and organizations, or hacking centralized networks to achieve an end; however, this time, this was not the case.
On March 17, 2016, Anonymous announced that it had released private information on Donald Trump including his social security and personal cell phone numbers, as a means of inciting individuals to 'investigate' his campaign and past. The video also warns viewers that they are solely responsible for their actions in regards to what they do with the information.
The original video, announced by Anonymous, launching Operation White Rose #OPWhiteRose can be found below:
In response to this video, the Trump campaign announced to the public that they were pursuing an investigation to arrest the individuals responsible for "hacking Mr. Trump" and exposing his information. It was said by the Trump campaign that the FBI and Secret Service were involved in the investigation process.
The reaction to the Anonymous video; however, was anticipated, and according to Anonymous, exactly what they were hoping for. Anonymous revealed that the information they had released on Donald Trump was, in fact, already public on the internet since 2013, and was therefore already exposed. While this seemingly would make Anonymous' attack on Trump pointless, in fact, it revealed some interesting points on the priorities of law enforcement and the government agencies, according to Anonymous.
The non-leak was bait for a grander scheme, expecting some kind of response from the Trump campaign. The video above, at the time of the response from the Trump campaign, had less than a few hundred views, not very wide-spread. Anonymous points out that the Trump campaign did not take into account whether the information was public or not, or that it had been released prior. It simply sought to capture and make example of an organization that stood against Trump.
Though the moral ambiguity of Anonymous' tactics leave the public questioning how valid their points are about the Trump campaign's strong reaction to the alleged leak, it has still left some measure of impact on the campaign. While the mainstream media almost instantly reacted to publicize Anonymous' original attack against Trump, it has yet to so much as comment on the results of it according to the hacktivist group, three days after the fact. This does, indeed, raise some questions about the priorities of not only the Trump campaign, but the mainstream media as well.
Ultimately, the voters will decide whether Trump is a worthy president for the United States, but it's pretty clear where Anonymous stands.
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