Anonymous is not an organisation. It has no leader, no membership list and no official spokesperson, and anyone can claim to act in its name. That is the point, and it is also why it is so hard to describe.
Where it came from
The name comes from the default username on image boards in the early 2000s, where everyone who posted without a name appeared as “Anonymous.” The idea of anonymous people acting together as one grew out of the jokes and pranks that circulated there.
Project Chanology (2008)
The first campaign to draw wide attention came in 2008, after the Church of Scientology tried to remove a leaked video from the internet. Participants launched online attacks against the church's websites and then organised street protests, where many wore Guy Fawkes masks, an image taken from the graphic novel and film V for Vendetta. The mask became the group's symbol.
Operation Payback and WikiLeaks (2010)
In 2010 members targeted anti-piracy organisations, and then payment companies that had stopped processing donations to WikiLeaks, using distributed denial-of-service attacks that flood sites with traffic. Several people were later prosecuted for taking part.
LulzSec and the 2011 crackdown
In 2011 a splinter group called LulzSec went on a 50-day spree against companies and organisations, then announced it was disbanding. Its best-known member, who went by Sabu, had been working with the FBI, and several members were arrested. Others linked to Anonymous were prosecuted for the 2011 breach of the intelligence firm Stratfor.
Why Anonymous is hard to pin down
Because anyone can use the name, activities range from peaceful protest videos to illegal attacks, and claims are often impossible to check. Supporters see it as digital protest against powerful institutions. Critics point out that many of its tactics are crimes, and that some operations harmed innocent people.
Anonymous today
The name resurfaced in 2022 when accounts using it claimed attacks on Russian organisations after the invasion of Ukraine. Independent confirmation of many such claims has been limited, and the movement is far less visible than at its peak around 2011 to 2012.
Frequently asked questions
Is Anonymous a group?
Not in a formal sense. It is a loose collective with no leaders or membership, and anyone can use the name.
Why the Guy Fawkes mask?
It was borrowed from the graphic novel and film V for Vendetta and became the symbol of the movement.
Is what Anonymous does legal?
Peaceful protest is. Many of the group's tactics, such as flooding sites with traffic or stealing data, are crimes, and several people have been prosecuted.
Who was Sabu?
The online name of Hector Monsegur, a LulzSec member who cooperated with the FBI after being arrested in 2011.
Is Anonymous still active?
The name still appears from time to time, but it has been much less visible since the early 2010s.