It has been reported that a computer hacking group  is  turning its hand to civil disobedience and plans to release an application that is aimed to oppose government and corporate censorship around the world. 

The tool is said to be based on peer-to-peer network technology that allows   data to be distributed directly between computer systems which was the center of controversy in the Napster case. The software to be called  Peekabooty  will share and distribute controversial Web pages. 

The group behind the application is  a team of white hat (non-criminal)  computer hackers best known for producing security tools that exploit weaknesses in Microsoft  software. Their best-known tools are BackOrifice and BackOrifice2000, which allow a computer  hacker to take control of computers running Microsoft operating systems. 

 This development highlights the need for Laws to be subordinate to the majority opinion in the society and how honest persons in the society may turn against the regulators if the laws are framed arbitrarily.

The incident also underscores the need to keep the channel of co-operation between the regulators and the Security specialists in the private sector open for  healthy interaction so that bright young minds work for the society rather than against it.

Do we in India see the implications?

May 7, 2001 

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