YouTube Boots Anonymous

Anonymous has been picking up operations in the wake of WikiLeaks. They are known for spreading their doctrinal messages through YouTube. Today, the folks over at YouTube said, "enough is enough" and pulled the three videos for Operation Sony, Operation Sony Update and Operation Black Out citing Terms of Service violations. Operation Black Out is the most recent video posted by the international hacktivist collective. They voiced their position regarding New Zealand's new copyright legislation, the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill. Does this have anything to do with Anon finally turning their Low Orbit Ion Cannons aka LOIC toward a national entity?

Michael Stone over at the Examiner saved a text transcript of the message, you can check out his article on Operation Black Out, here. And I'm also attaching the text transcript here.

We are Anonymous.

We have been watching the actions taken by you and your legislation. The passing of the Infringing File Sharing bill is both a form of censorship and invasion of privacy.

Anonymous will not let this go by unnoticed. Your beliefs that one is guilty until proven innocent is an unlawful and unjust policy.

We do not believe that one, when accused of copyright infringement, should be questioned by their Internet Support Provider and eligible to pay a fifteen thousand dollar fine, unless proven innocent.

We do not believe that one, when accused of copyright infringement, should be sentenced to six months suspension of Internet usage, unless proven innocent.

We do not believe that one, when accused of copyright infringement, shall be called a criminal in the eyes of the government for the simple act of accessing information, unless proven innocent.

Those opposing the copyright law via online protest, we are with you,

New Zealand, You now have the full attention of Anonymous.

We are Anonymous

We are legion

We do not forgive

We do not forget

Expect us

Mr. Stone mentions that the legislation was slipped through in legislation dealing with the Christchurch earthquake, a phenomenon many of us are used to in places where executive branches don't have line-item veto powers. There are May day marches in protest planned in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

[via TorrentFreak]