Liberating Cyberspace: Defining Cyberlibertarian Extremism and Exploring its Social Ramifications
Abstract:
One form of libertarian political ideology—cyberlibertarianism—aligns with libertarian principles applied to cyberspace and emphasizes minimal government intervention for individuals’ engagement in online spaces. Examples from media politics scholars provide insights into how cyberlibertarian beliefs intersect with social issues, like free speech advocacy and online behavior regulation. The current work aims to define cyberliberationist extremism thoroughly and to contrast how its ideological messages might differ from traditional far-left and far-right political extremist messaging. In a case study analysis, the authors pose three questions, investigate notable activities by the hacking group Anonymous, and argue that these actions fall under cyberlibertarian extremism. The work ends with an informed discussion regarding the societal consequences of cyberlibertarian extremism.
AUTHORS
School of Cybersecurity Old Dominion University,
Norfolk, Virginia, United States of America
David Hopkins is a recipient of the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity and minoring in cybercrime at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, Virginia. He is also pursuing a Master of Science in cybersecurity with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence Security. He has earned his CompTIA Security+ certification.
Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology Winthrop University
Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States of America
Ida Oesteraas, Ph.D is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Her recent research examines anti-immigrant discourse and migrant deaths at the U.S. southwest border, while her publications primarily explore the intersection of political extremism and cyber deviance.
Published In
Journal of Information Warfare
The definitive publication for the best and latest research and analysis on information warfare, information operations, and cyber crime. Available in traditional hard copy or online.
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