Hackers disabled several websites of New Zealand's ruling party to protest a new law that would enable the country’s spy agency to snoop on its citizens. Kim Dotcom said hacking the sites only gave PM John Key “a new excuse to pass the GCSB bill”.
Dear Anonymous NZ, hacking National Party websites is just giving John Key a new excuse to pass the #GCSB bill (cybercrime). Please stop it.
— Kim Dotcom (@KimDotcom) July 29, 2013
Dotcom, the MegaUpload founder who the victim of Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) snooping last year, is among those outraged by the New Zealand bill. However, the internet mogul said on Twitter that hacking National Party websites would only make things worse.
The bill was actually prompted by disclosures that the Bureau had
illegally spied on Dotcom, who is fighting attempts by the US
government to extradite him on charges of Internet piracy,
copyright infringement, and money laundering.
On July 28 hacktivist group Anonymous uploaded a video on YouTube
claiming responsibility for the hacking of fourteen websites,
including those for Prime Minister John Key and Finance Minister
Bill English. The attack was prompted by Key’s refusal to listen
to protests against the ''despicable piece of
legislation''.
“This new law allows to spy on New Zealanders without a
warrant. We strongly condemn this bill,” the video message
explained. “John Key, do you think you can pass a new law
without a majority of New Zealanders behind it?”
The websites of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister were
restored after being attacked around midnight. The website of the
Deputy Leader of the National Party Gerry Brownlee is still
disabled.
The surveillance bill, which is expected to be passed in
parliament, would give the GCSB carte blanche to listen in on
citizens’ phone conversations. As things stand now, it spies on
foreign targets via electronic listening posts but is not allowed
to spy on New Zealand citizens or residents.
The law has been slammed by Internet and civil rights groups,
prompting street protests over the weekend. Thousands of people
turned out in eleven cities and towns across New Zealand in what
was dubbed as an “uphill battle” to stop the bill from coming
into effect.
''It has come to our attention that the thousands that have
marched against this bill has still not been enough to send John
Key and Peter Dunne a message," Anonymous said in the video
message.
"John Key make no mistake the majority of New Zealanders oppose
this bill. Due to your own arrogance and your unwillingness to
listen to the people we have decided to take direct action.''
Anonymous promised that the websites would remain offline until
the National Party patched its web servers or withdrew the bill
and apologized to those it had affected, including Kim Dotcom.
Last January New Zealand police stormed Dotcom’s mansion, seizing
assets and digital material. A judge later condemned the raid as
illegal and ordered law enforcement to return items that were
seized that were not directly linked the case against Dotcom. The
judge’s decision also led to an official apology from Key to
Dotcom, who alleged that the GCSB collaborated with the US
government in a bid to comply with the extradition order issued
by Washington.