Events like the “Fappening” and the recent attacks on Sony’s servers seem to be relatively distant, at a glance – however, recent comments in the sphere have been pointing out that there may be more similarities between the two than most people are realizing, and that it’s important to pay attention to such events, because they speak a lot about the way the Internet will develop in the future.
When the first leaks from the “Fappening” started, some were commenting that people are committing a crime by merely looking at the pictures, and should refrain from doing so for the sake of integrity. However, others met those comments harshly, claiming that the only ones committing a crime were those responsible for the original leaks, and people looking at the pictures should not be held responsible in any way.
On the other hand, the attack on Sony had much more severe repercussions for those whose information was leaked – at least the majority of them – and yet many were actually praising the “work” of those responsible for the attack, claiming that the company deserved it through their actions.
Clearly, Internet communities are somewhat divided in their views on when it’s okay to be the victim of cyber attacks. This doesn’t seem to be the case on the legal side of things though – authorities seemed quite adamant to pursue those responsible for the attacks in both cases, and when it came to Sony’s situation, it went all the way up to the FBI, and actually became a serious issue.
The question remains though – if so many people have been critical of the “Fappening”, where are those same voices now when the same is happening to Sony? There have been articles and various posts defending the company, sure – but the massive outpour of outright support for those who perpetrated the attacks has been puzzling to some level.
It may also set some worrying trends for the future of the Internet, as it shows that online communities are not to be toyed with, and their emotions can echo quite strongly in the face of a disastrous situation. Sony have learned this the hard way, but the more interesting thing in this case is to consider how the Internet would react to similar attacks in the future, if they happened to people with a less favorable reputation. Would it be seen as acceptable to leak the private pictures of a person who’s universally hated? (or at least across the Internet). Many would be quick to say no, but recent events may very well point in a different, darker direction that requires a bit more analysis of the current situation.