The Ethics of Hacking

Political hackers, like the infamous Anonymous collective, have demonstrated their willingness to use political violence to further their agendas. However, many of their causes – targeting terrorist groups, fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, and protecting people's freedom of expression, autonomy, and privacy – are intuitively good things to fight for.

The Ethics of Hacking creates a new framework arguing that when the state fails to protect people, hackers can intervene. It evaluates hacking based on the political or social circumstances and highlights the space for hackers to operate as legitimate actors. The book guides hacker activity by detailing what actions are justified toward what end; outlines mechanisms to aid hackers in reaching ethically justified decisions; and directs the political community on how to react to these political hackers.

Applying this framework to the most pivotal hacking operations within the last two decades, including the Arab Spring, police brutality in the USA, and the Nigerian and Ugandan governments' announcements of homophobic legislation, The Ethics of Hacking offers a unique contribution to conceptualising hacking as a contemporary political activity.