1. Operation #Megaupload
3. On the heels of our historic protest against SOPA/PIPA – an operation that switched more votes in less time than any other before it – we now see existing laws, weaker than those we now oppose, being used to imprison and persecute some of the Internet’s most useful and popular websites. By taking down the Megaupload family of sites the The Department of Justice has shown once again that they protect only those with the deepest pockets; less than a year ago, the DoJ likewise assisted Bank of America in their clandestine war against Wikileaks, a conspiracy that was revealed by Anonymous operatives (http://wiki.echelon2.org/wiki/Team_Themis).
5. This is a war against innovation, a war on those who would seek to distribute and obtain information in an age defined by it. Megaupload was one of the 20 most trafficked websites in the world because it provide a valuable service – the ability to transfer large files with minimal expertise and in a short time. We tire of abusive advertising, usury, and content protection techniques, all of which ultimately affect the end users experience. It is now clear that file sharing technology is the future of content distribution and there is a war being waged to suppress the our freedom of choice and experience.
7. We advise those congressmen, executives, and lobbyists who continue their assault on the information age to consider the consequences of their actions.
9. We ask all concerned citizens of the Internet to take action immediately and protest this senseless violation of datanity.
11. We Are Anonymous
12. We Are Legion
13. We Do Not Forgive
14. We Do Not Forget
15. You Should Have Expected Us

Hacker group Anonymous isn’t happy about the takedown of file-sharing site Megaupload, and as a result, it’s targeting some big companies and government agencies are going to

Earlier this afternoon, interspersed with a stream of anti-SOPA and PIPA tweets, Anonymous the main Anonymous Twitter account declared, “The government takes down #Megaupload? 15 minutes later #Anonymous takes down government & record label sites. #ExpectUs.” Specifically, the group claimed responsibility for taking down the Universal Music, RIAA (the record industry’s lobbying arm), and Department of Justice websites, among others. As of 3pm Pacific, the sites were still down for me, although some comments on Twitter suggested that they were returning online sporadically.

The group also claimed that the current attacks were “the largest attack ever by Anonymous,” with 5,635 participants. And it looks like the campaign is ongoing — Anonymous says it’s going after the FBI’s website next: “Get some popcorn… it’s going to be a long lulzy night.”