The Decibel
Former Anonymous hacker worries he helped elect Trump artwork

Former Anonymous hacker worries he helped elect Trump

The Decibel
23:18
Play episode

Show notes

More than 20 years ago, a group of internet users created the online forum 4chan – a mixture of memes, pranks, disinformation and hate speech. Soon, a hacker group on the forum calling themselves Anonymous gained notoriety for their online pranks and disruption. But now, a former member of that hacker group says they regret the role they may have played in driving today’s divisive political environment and wants to make amends. Alexandra Posadzki is the Globe’s financial and cybercrime reporter. She’ll talk about an interview she had with the hacker, who now faces criminal charges, and how memes on a toxic online forum bloomed into real-world consequences. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More from this show

More
  1. Why people are taking vacations to pick up new skills

    The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing nu…

    18:40
  2. Navigating Canada’s fertility industry

    A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $2…

    30:12
  3. At its core, the Canada-U.S. trade dispute is about autos

    The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald…

    24:09
  4. Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs

    The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect. On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, a…

    25:57
  5. Canadian businesses prepare for long-haul trade war

    After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the wee…

    27:48
  6. Why Canada’s biggest paid plasma collector has paused operations

    Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteer…

    24:37
Now Playing
Former Anonymous hacker worries he helped elect Trump — The Decibel | Josplay Music