Casablanca- Hacktivist movement “Anonymous” is back in action. The movement now aims at beIN Sports, the global network of sports channels owned by Qatari Sports Investments, for allegedly monopolizing the broadcast of the 2014 World Cup matches in Brazil.
A video attributed to Anonymous was recently uploaded to YouTube. In the video, the Guy-Fawkes-masked, black-hoody-dressed spokesperson of the movement threatens to destroy beIN Sports’ official website if the channel does not refrain from monopolizing the 2014 World Cup matches, thus “depriving the poor from enjoying them.”
The Qatari channel is not a randomly chosen target for the hacktivist movement. In the same video, Anonymous’ spokesperson states that beIN Sports has been indulgingly monopolizing sports in general (soccer in particular), thus “stripping the poor of their right to enjoy the games.”
“We [Anonymous] will work to protect the rights of the poor to follow this big event,” stated the disguised individual in the video.
The spokesperson also invited all concerned people to use a specific hashtag (#beout_sport) to express their anger at the Qatari channel.
“We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us,” the spokesperson concluded, reciting the movement’s notorious tagline.
Thus far, the owners of the Qatari channel have not issued any response. However, many internet users expect that the channel’s staff and proprietors would “sink in fear” if they ever come across Anonymous’ threatening message.
This is not Anonymous’ first World Cup-related threat. The movement, according to French news website itespresso.fr, has already publicized another hacking project, dubbed “#OpHackingCup”, that would target the sponsors and partners of this year’s World Cup event.
According to the same source, a representative of Anonymous, nicknamed “Che Commodore”, told Reuters in an interview that Anonymous “had already carried out a number of tests to determine which of the websites [related to the 2014 World Cup] were the most vulnerable.”
