Technology

He did it to make room for change

A self-described "hacktivist" will spend 10 years in prison for illegally accessing computer systems of law enforcement agencies and government contractors. Bef...

Federal News Radio Custom Media@WTOPWFEDcustom

November 18, 2013 9:00 am

< a min read

A self-described “hacktivist” will spend 10 years in prison for illegally accessing computer systems of law enforcement agencies and government contractors. Before hearing his sentence, an unrepentant Jeremy Hammond told a federal judge that his goal was to expose injustices by the private intelligence industry when he joined forces with Anonymous. “Yes I broke the law, but I believe sometimes laws must be broken in order to make room for change,” he said. The Chicago computer whiz and college dropout insisted his hacking days are over but added, “I still believe in hacktivism as a form of civil disobedience.”