How Hacker Collective Anonymous Incited Online Vigilantism in Ferguson

The Internet collective known as Anonymous has conducted hacking attacks on the Church of Scientology, PenPal and the websites of governments in the Middle East. Its latest target: police in Ferguson, Missouri after the killing of Michael Brown. The leader of this attack, who goes by the pseudonym Commander X, is in exile somewhere in Canada. Not even his lawyer knows where he is. When David Kushner was preparing to write about Anonymous, the "#OpFerguson" hashtag was being created. Kushner is author of “The Masked Avengers,” found in this week’s issue of the New Yorker magazine.