Anonymous China Says It Hacked Hundreds Of Government Sites

BEIJING -- China was struggling Thursday to restore several government websites that international hacking group Anonymous says it attacked in an apparent protest against Chinese Internet restrictions.

On a Twitter account established in late March, Anonymous China listed the websites it says it hacked over the last several days. They include government bureaus in several Chinese cities, including in Chengdu, a provincial capital in southwest China.

Some of the sites were still blocked Thursday, with error messages shown.

Anonymous activists have defaced websites around the world. They are engaged in political causes, including opposition to the global clampdown on file-sharing sites and defense of the secret-spilling site WikiLeaks.

Some websites that Anonymous said it attacked were working Thursday, and government officials denied the sites were ever hacked. China's National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team was not available for immediate comment.

In a message left on one of the hacked Chinese sites – cdcbd.gov.cn, a home page for Chengdu's business district – the hackers expressed anger with the Chinese government for restrictions placed on the Internet.

"Dear Chinese government, you are not infallible, today websites are hacked, tomorrow it will be your vile regime that will fall," the English-language message read. "What you are doing today to your Great People, tomorrow will be inflicted to you. With no mercy."

The message also offered instructions on how to circumvent China's restrictions on its Internet. The government tries to block Internet users in China from seeing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Information on politically sensitive topics is often blocked.

Also on HuffPost:

From our partners

Comments

[Rob Huggins]

10:53 AM on 04/07/2012

I find it hilarious when any news organization looks at any group that survives by having a lack of structure. They always immediately name leaders and point out corporate like structures such as "branches."

There is no organization, and if you find some, it is an unconnected cell latching onto an ideology. That is how it survives. You can arrest people in an organization; you can't arrest an idea.

There isn't a branch, and there is no leader. There are cells like LulzSec, and no direct organization between them and the rest of the people sharing the idea.

[CarlIII]

12:29 AM on 04/07/2012

I agree with their motive but question their method. It's good to have people that stand up to power. It is healthy for the world politic. The Chinese are WAY too restrictive on access to the internet. They need to be hacked and hacked often.

[Hardy Blacklord]

01:17 AM on 04/06/2012

China needs to hunt these hackers down and execute them.

[SpiralingDownward]

02:17 PM on 04/06/2012

Right after I hunt those boobs down and motor boat them.

[Elizabeth Everett]

08:16 PM on 04/05/2012

Go Anonymous! Love those guys

[Lonnie DeVorak]

09:57 PM on 04/05/2012

here, here, I second that!

[ADRealist]

04:27 PM on 04/05/2012

I think it's great the US Government will now be working alongside China to hunt down the anon hackers. They did so well with the "war on terror" by causing such an extreme amount of "collateral damage" that more terrorists where created than had ever existed before.

I except this to end the same.

[Sh00Fly]

04:01 PM on 04/05/2012

Well that's interesting.
─────█─▄▀█──█▀▄─█─────
────▐▌──────────▐▌────
────█▌▀▄──▄▄──▄▀▐█────
───▐██──▀▀──▀▀──██▌───
──▄████▄──▐▌──▄████▄──

[Ahoon]

01:45 PM on 04/05/2012

Anonymous...fanned & favorited

[Doug Cain]

01:44 PM on 04/05/2012

But that might disrupt the value delivery chain.

[June25]

12:33 PM on 04/05/2012

What would be cool is if they hacked into child porn sites and turned the perverts into the police.

[Tsvi1]

02:08 PM on 04/05/2012

They did that. http://www.geekosystem.com/anonymous-child-porn-takedown/
They also helped against terrorists, tyrannical governments, and domineering corporations.
Whats not to love about these guys?

[June25]

06:24 PM on 04/05/2012

Name one bust thanks to Anonymous help.All they did was told their fellow perverts not to use the same user as them.Kind of like telling someone if you don't move I'll tell the police what you do with your children.

[imtruthmonger]

02:11 PM on 04/05/2012

That would help clean out the house.

[donaldinks]

11:42 AM on 04/05/2012

Good!
Now hack over here and shut down Congress...

...oh wait...

that's already been done.

[TaxpayingVoter]

04:10 PM on 04/05/2012

The Tea Party hacked Congress and it was slowed to a standstill.

[Anonmouse33]

11:41 AM on 04/05/2012

China is becoming increasingly intolerant with making the components that run the internet, while being restricted from the ability to freely utilize them.

Who can blame them? Freedom is a natural state of being.

[edenooch]

11:32 AM on 04/05/2012

why dont nerds attack companies here that do business in china

[Hayden McCann]

12:20 PM on 04/05/2012

That would be stupid.

[Brogrammer]

01:05 PM on 04/05/2012

Ah yes, attacking every US electronics / tech company sounds like a great idea... not.

[Molly Channon]

11:22 AM on 04/05/2012

They need to hack the tea baggers and the right wing religious nuts to prove to america that they want a 1984 styled america!

[June25]

12:35 PM on 04/05/2012

Never drink your own Kool Aid.

[Tsvi1]

02:09 PM on 04/05/2012

Some of anon ARE right-wing nutjobs.
On civil liberties, the libertarians and progressive can come together.

[free reign]

11:09 AM on 04/05/2012

In retaliation, China refuses to export more toxic chicken jerky, that has been linked to hundreds of dogs deaths, even after the melamine poisoning spree.
Additionally ALL superpac money will be cut off, and monitoring govt and American civilians through CHINESE technology will end.
Way to GO! Way to GO Anon freedom fighters. LIFT UP China instead of letting treasons reduce America to their horrible standards.
Animal Parents Against Pet Treats Made In China LOVES you Anonymous. Our pets and OUR economy, and the Chinese people have suffered enough from relentless exploitation.

[friendofbear]

11:08 AM on 04/05/2012

Anonymous has no leader and no structure. Go arrest some more homeless people and pat yourself on the back. You cannot arrest an idea.

[EntanglementTrick]

09:08 PM on 04/05/2012

I can.
I can arrest an idea...

with my arresting good looks!