In what appears to be a reaction against the arrest of a New Zealand resident and several others over internet piracy, dozens of major internet websites have been brought down this afternoon, including the United States Department of Justice site.
Gizmodo.com is reporting that the shutdown of Megaupload, which is accused of breaking copyright laws, has spawned retaliatory attacks net-wide by the hacking collective Anonymous. Among sites reported as being down are record industry sites such as the Universal Music Group and BMI, the US Copyright Office and the Motion Picture Association of America.
The Twitter site for YourAnonNews, allegedly linked to the Anonymous group, is calling it "the largest unified Anonymous attack ever."
The Internet strike comes mere days after the temporary shutdown of Wikipedia and many other sites in protest against internet anti-piracy legislation up before the United States Congress.
- Herald Online
