Anonymous hacks the web hosting company Epik and reveals piquant details about who is behind the “Proud Boys” and other right-wing extremist websites.
US – Web hosting company Epik has long been the favorite internet company of the far right in the US. It provides domain services to QAnon theorists, “Proud Boys” and other instigators of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol and enables them to spread hateful messages under a veil of anonymity.
But that veil suddenly disappeared last week when the Anonymous hacking group released more than 150 gigabytes of previously private data – including usernames, passwords and other identifying information from Epik customers.
Since the hack became known, the first details have spread via Twitter, often under the hashtag #epikfail. Extremism experts say it takes months and maybe years to work through all of the data. “It’s huge. It could be the biggest domain leak I’ve ever seen, and as an extremism researcher, it’s certainly the most interesting, ”said Megan Squire, Elon University computer science professor who studies right-wing extremism.
Embarrassing details about “Proud Boys” and other right-wing extremists: Web services for right-wing extremist websites
Seattle-based Epik has made a name for itself in the internet world by providing critical web services to websites that have violated other companies’ policies such as hate speech, fake news, and advocacy for violence. The list of customers is long – many of them are known for allowing extreme posts.
Online records show that the 8chan platform was one of the customers. It was previously dumped by its vendors after it published the manifesto of a gunman who killed 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019. Parler is also apparently one of Epik’s customers. This platform was apparently in connection with the attack on the US Capitol on January 6th.
Embarrassing details about “Proud Boys”: Internet should remain uncensored and free
Epik founder Robert Monster’s willingness to provide technical assistance to far-right online havens has regularly drawn him to the target of anti-extremism advocates. These criticize him for using the epic tools to republish the Christchurch gunman’s manifesto and the video the killer made of the mass murder.
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Defending its work as crucial to keeping the internet uncensored and free, Monster joined conservative critics arguing that technology leaders like Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and YouTube, when monitoring content they deem inappropriate, are had gone too far.
Embarrassing details about Proud Boys: “Not aware of any injury”
“The company played an important role in sustaining far-right terrorist wetlands,” said Rita Katz, executive director of the SITE Intelligence Group, which investigates online extremism. “Without Epik, many extremist communities – from QAnon and white nationalists to accelerationist neo-Nazis – would have had much less oxygen to spread damage, whether it be working towards the January 6th riot in the Capitol or sowing misinformation and conspiracy theories attacking democracy. “
Following the announcement, Epik initially stated that it was “not aware of any injury”. However, in a rambling three-hour live stream last week, Monster admitted that “data that should not have been stolen,” urged people not to use the data for “negative” purposes. (Luisa Ebbrecht)
