I Was There When Anonymous Really Started

Gregg Housh was there when Anonymous started. In fact, he was there even before that. This is the story of Anonymous from an insider, walking us through the early history of the movement that defined modern hacktivism and changed the world - from an "accidental revolution" of internet trolls to the first "ops" and the eventual explosion into a household name.
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00:00 Intro
02:24 The Roots
08:01 Project Chanology
18:02 Guy Fawkes Mask
07:46 The Evolution
24:02 Blue Wig Girl
27:22 Operation Titstorm
34:55 The Rise
43:03 The Legacy
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ℹ️ About us:
We are an independent news outlet with a CZcams channel that posts cybersecurity & tech news videos daily. Our foremost concern is the safety and security of our viewers around the world. We remain vigilant on the issue of hacking and will provide updates as they become available. A number of our investigations and reports have been featured by industry-related publications and global news leaders like Forbes, PC mag, and Techradar.
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Music license: MB01RK2SLZQTVTI

[@cybernews]

Do you believe Anonymous still holds power today?

[@grekandrew8995]

No

[@conniesenesr6915]

No!! Scams! I don't trust!

[@pwDalta]

Yes, anonsecITA still holds the line.

[@tecknows]

ROFLMAO. Mainstream Media is focused on Liberalism at the moment.
However, you can still see what they are doing through organizations such as TechNet, CrunchNet, and CSNet.

[@PrincessHarlotte]

No. As a former participant, I believe several governments infiltrated grassroots groups to manipulate and influence their actions. It's too easy for renegade attention seekers to corrupt and destroy the original intent.

[@adamcurry5033]

WHERE THEY BEEN AT THOOOOO!!!! we need a group of hackers with a purpose these days!

[@davidf_bs]

Security has come a loooong way since 2006, I imagine it’s much harder for them to do anything these days

[@jacobyoung317]

Quite the opposite due to increased applications and reliance on the internet opening more and more attack vectors.

[@yuh6038]

They are nothing compared to new hacking groups, especially government funded groups

[@comosaycomosah]

@@davidf_bs lol

[@Mikesusendsadasdc]

They split into many different hacktivist groups. Also I guess I should say this. I as a 15 year old used low orbit ion cannon not even understand what I as doing. Then within a week the FBI came to my house. They talked with me and my mom. But nothing past that really happened cause I wasnt the one doing dam. to the server's. I didn't even have to go to court. but it was enough to scare me from doing that again....... Well until I learn how to be Anon online and not the group.

[@Nekumiya]

The idea of having a screen dedicated to showing time so we can see the skips & how it was all edited is imo brilliant

[@pokettomonsta]

You notice it too, I thought I was crazy

[@Durgesh-Singh-Chouhan]

Just imagine what thrilling story early anonymous member have for there grandchildren. Truly wonderful video! Loved it.

[@Mickey_Valentine]

.... Not very proud ... I was in the beggining of the 5th of November..... It was only a vehicle for cops all over the world to use up the group and nowadays its so desfigured by the info-mamipulation agencies that is mostly neonazzzis of Qanon thinking they are anonymous

[@theJellyjoker]

Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu Desu

[@dleer_defi]

I was like 12 at that time and they just called me summerf@g on iirc 😂

[@user-bp2ol4wi1c]

Definition of "Better" is wildly subjective

[@turasepul2147]

the guy with his driver licence or identity card stick on the forehead of his anonymous mask is a genius . 😎

[@Magoggles]

I was there in Sydney from the start, didn't miss a protest for over 3 years.
It was a wild time.
Edit: Shout out to some real ones: Dasukips, DC50, Kitty, Blu, Pyro, GMG, RKD, BBG, Evie, Kookaburra, Tamphex & Those unnamed as it's been a minute. ✌

[@dleer_defi]

Epic

[@sanantohomie]

Thank you for your service.

[@nullx8]

that paints a so different picture than what the general public sees about anonymous ... great docu/interview !

[@BallaHalls7]

I'm studying cybersecurity right now and when I open my CZcams home, there's this recommended video recently posted less than 10 minutes ago, what a coincidence... I'm not even subscribed lol

[@turasepul2147]

im not studying cybersecurity right now and when I open youtube 1st video is a Anonymous Doc and im not even sub , what a coincidence...

[@abdallahhussein5997]

Google knows everything about you. What you really don't know is Smart phone 📱 track you even if data is off worse enough even it switch off

[@abdallahhussein5997]

We are hacked already by service provider

[@abdallahhussein5997]

I wrote the first comment but disappeared.
This will be my last comment in all social network.

[@binksm689]

Totally interesting interview. Thanks for another great show Cyber News!

[@cybernews]

We're glad you enjoyed it!

[@deadonentry]

you know this guy hacks cus he has color a on his cmd

[@laggingdragons]

Nobody talks about Occupy Wall Street anymore :(

[@kevyt3095]

Have you heard of Tim Pool? Still talks about it everyday ..

[@OPLOT.]

Very cool job. I wonder why content of this caliber gets so few views. Thank you for all you do.

[@aktyj320yhj]

of all the years, no other video explains the origin of anonymous than this, definitely archived in ma server

[@sanantohomie]

it's all true brah! 😭

[@aktyj320yhj]

@@sanantohomie where did I say it's false lil boy🤌💀

[@JM-ci1xl]

I have seen a lot of these documentaries. This one was very well produced

[@garrymcgaw4745]

What an interesting story. Thanks Josh.

[@nithin604]

Wow I'm this old 😂. Wish I can write that experience in my resume ❤

[@muctebanesiri]

interesting interview. Those videos by anon are really captivating

[@isaacyukon5869]

We are Legion. We are One. We are Anonymous.
When is someone going to explain the history of the original slogan?

[@theJellyjoker]

No one expect the spanish inquisition!

[@isaacyukon5869]

@@theJellyjoker Expect us.

[@Heartwing37]

@@theJellyjoker😂

[@isaacyukon5869]

@@theJellyjoker Unless you recently updated your name I think YT decided to doxx you. =\ First and Last with no numbers.

[@Waflon]

its a bible quote.

[@isaacvale918]

Finally someone telling a true story of the internet

[@noreenmclean1487]

LOVE THIS!!

[@Thisisjefftaylor]

Dude, this is fickin awesome

[@-CmonMeow]

damn I'm old, and still lurking

[@sanantohomie]

hide and seek champion, brah you beat Bin Laden!

[@cyberpreacher]

How time flies on each scene

[@dronelabs556]

Slenderman is the lost soul of greenman. He got big..

[@kevinnyawakira4600]

Nice documentary

[@theJellyjoker]

Do a barrel roll!
Before Chanology was Zippocat 🤢

[@allisonangelafleming]

I used IRC all the time.. I thought I was one of very few ppl that used it! Love ANONYMOUS!!! ❤❤❤

[@jonathanfeldheim6554]

Even Die Hard has a hacker.

[@cykes5124]

Gregg's running Windows 11. Not even a level 1 hacker.

[@GreggHoush]

That's one of six machines in the house, and the only one I wanted to allow on screen, it's the streaming PC used because OBS and all the other fun streaming tools still run better on Windows.

[@KernalPanics]

@@GreggHoushI use Arch btw.

[@wassimmariamable]

First of all, a great effort by everyone involved in putting this doco together. 👏 And I just wish I knew about this stuff when it happened because, unfortunately, I was none the wiser. 😊

[@Waflon]

On 2019 in Chile there was a huge protests that lasted several months, I think the scalation is in part this, the difference between laws and the people's suffering.
Please look it up, and think about the US foreign policies, and how these affect us, even today. (Also amazing interview)

[@KatJael55]

😂i luv this.. i found anonymous in2009..and have been following ever since. Freedom for all🎉

[@theJellyjoker]

18:38
Epic Fail Guy! 😆
A fail so epic, it was a win!
This dude is obviously a summer cancer New[bundle of sticks]

[@Striker9]

I missed so much of the early internet even though I was there 😅 sucks to be so anxiety ridden

[@thechosen6220]

anonymous to kenya brought me here

[@Ekce]

The IRC people were one of several offshoots. In 2006 there were a lot more offshoots consisting of other chans and wikis and stuff because raids got banned from the site because they had become excessive. Most of those communities eventually died for different reasons and many of them became toxic in lots of different ways. In the mainstream, "Anonymous" people refers to the anonops IRC hacktivist community, but in the chan communities it has always been a more general term for chan users in general.
4:45 The Hal Turner raids were kind of the downfall of 4chan because they attracted people from Stormfront (a white supremacist forum) who swarmed to 4chan's newly created news board (because they thought that's where we got our news when actually it was a low activity board created for sharing news articles). Moot (site owner) deleted the news board after that and since those users scattered across the site eventually created the /pol/ board as a containment board for them. Which is why /pol/ is now a board full of white supremacists on 4chan. Moot did something similar with furry users by creating a /fur/ board for them and then permabanning every user that posted on it (though unfortunately he didn't permaban /pol/).

[@ThatNotoriousK]

Containment boards never worked. Shame Moot never got that.

[@sanantohomie]

@@ThatNotoriousK SIR, how would you know?!?!?! *reads nick* nevermind.

[@justinrabbit9901]

Timer in the background smart lol

[@AntonSlavik]

This is a VERY sanitised story lol

[@Concurr]

Pray tell 👀

[@sanantohomie]

@@Concurr the secs n droogs are missing lol

[@talis..]

1:43 this dudes literally just on hackertype wtf 💀

[@GreggHoush]

They asked for the screen to have something hackerish on it. It's not like I was in the middle of anything real while filming, so hackertype it is.

[@theJellyjoker]

35:31
🤔I wonder if I'm on that list?

[@Heartwing37]

Same

[@theJellyjoker]

25:18
The Lulz, do it for them!

[@MackShunta]

Not a single word on how the "we are legion..." came up?

[@shantanusapru]

F'KKIN AWESOME!!!!!

[@ValenceFlux]

The video starts in Boston... why am I not surprised.
2011 was the year those occupy democracy protestors become the occupy Boston common protestors.
The school office got hacked and anonymous left them a message. So an instructor accused our entire class because no one came forward. Our work ethic only supported oppression they argued. It was enough I was getting hazed at work but to get sabotaged by protesters. I guess it really was the worst time in history to serve an apprenticeship. I should of died ten times over surviving the hazards of that job. All to contribute to building better community infrastructure. I sure felt like I was doing the right thing with my life. Verizon had that dispute with the Union about that same year. All of us with HTC phones had our contacts deleted. No one had any answers as to how that happened. I ended up too sick to continue work and school. I was under a year from graduating into a better life. But whatever..

[@lowqualityworld]

I cannot wrap my head around what you're saying

[@ValenceFlux]

@@lowqualityworld I'm reacting to some aggravating experiences I went through in a work program in 2011. Some people got horribly injured or sick. I don't feel well either so sometimes my comments are fragmented and sloppy. I need a break.

[@lowqualityworld]

@@ValenceFlux What industry and what illness?

[@ValenceFlux]

@@lowqualityworld High voltage electrical power. Autoimmune disorder.
Some of us started getting very dizzy before we started getting sick.
One apprentice threw up blood into a trash can at the school and they sent him home.
My leg's stopped working the next day. I had to learn to walk again.
So many hazards came with that job I never would of believed I would face.

[@Mickey_Valentine]

... You knew Aaron Swartz too brother ?

[@Kindsoul75]

If hes telling us who he is ,i find it hard to believe he has anything to do with the true Anonymous. Misinformation most likely...

[@felinehermetica]

24:42 young male, no social skills, or me, a female, a mom, in my late 30s who refuses to leave the comfort of my air conditioned home. where do I sign up? 😆
Oh she’s adorable.

[@owlic227]

bro's talking like he was king of anonymous or something lmfao

[@Judas647]

ur trippin

[@Heartwing37]

right. Not so anon if you give interviews

[@AntonSlavik]

Hardly. But he is talking some bullshit. Either he's telling a really sanitised story or the editing sanitised it.
Like, who was that Disney Club pop star who had her nudes leaked, so Anon posted them on her fan forum (full of young teens)? I bet he didn't tell that story.

[@bonzi4446]

Then what are u waiting for

[@AlienzOnlyBruh]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS

[@freedomseeding]

We are legion❤

[@MrInternetMan]

I was there too. Where's my interview?

[@sanantohomie]

Can I interview you here in the comments? My first question is "so I herd u liek mudkipz? y/n?"

[@MrInternetMan]

@@sanantohomie This is a widely spread misconception.

[@Lo-pe8me]

Washington DC protest before we had to move to the Chanology platform.
Love y'all.

[@radiobane]

It started in 2005..

[@Barc0d3]

A lot of you seem to not grasp the concept of anonymous.

[@amir071]

Started what? When and where did “they” ever do for any decent person?

[@stealdemapples1283]

AUCKLAND LESSSGOOO🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅🦅

[@4megii]

Anonymous went down a bad path with some of the new stuff, hence why many people split or left.

[@yudhasub120]

bunch of opportunists

[@Stefan-fq6to]

My God, typical NGO behaviour, IYKYK...

[@basi_B]

Expect us

[@iza7023]

2137 users... 12:51

[@seanburton5298]

A public group became a zipper.

[@youssifhatem3198]

هذا عمل رائع

[@freedomseeding]

RIP JSTARK❤

[@corbingrieves4505]

dis guy really still calls Memes Mimis?

[@corbingrieves4505]

In all seriousness though, I remember back in 2011 when i was just a wee lad, my little cousin was constantly online and he showed me some anonymous videos. I thought it was a joke tbh. Never believed anything on the internet.

[@theJellyjoker]

29:34
Every day is repost day!
I wasn't in the IRC, only on the 4chans and here but would BUMP threads, repost memes, share news and science articles. I never used a trip code, kinda defeated the purpose of being "anonymous" IMO

[@sanantohomie]

thank you for your service.

[@theJellyjoker]

@@sanantohomie 🐸Shadilay, my brother!🐸

[@scarlett_j]

I'm not anonymous.
I'm not animus.
I'm not anyone.
I don't exist.
Also, my past was erased.
Future, their waste.
Their wasted people.
They're wasted.
Non amies.

[@oliviadrinkwine1411]

Anonymous is a idea not a organization

[@sanantohomie]

I have a membership card I got off of tiktok shop brah, why u mad

[@Alisdair67]

❤

[@Ksys47]

true anonymous is silent. fail.

[@sanantohomie]

lol stay mad

[@VasiaBriliant]

Fake

[@deighv]

and gay

[@rapl8828]

admit it yall r dead

[@kpathefuckingape]

You think this group is dead or just out of the spotlight?

[@youngconsciouskollections]

Who is this fraud

[@osouno1995]

lol anonymous fell off.

[@momentomoridoth2007]

I remember all of this. in b/4 anhero

[@abdualsamadahmad]

all respect anonymous 🫡🫡💯🥶

[@lassesmedvik9281]

❤