hacktivism

American  

[hak-tuh-viz-uhm] / ˈhæk təˌvɪz əm /

Or hactivism

noun

Computers.

1. the practice of gaining unauthorized access to a computer system and carrying out various disruptive actions as a means of achieving political or social goals.

   In this form of hacktivism, the hacker tries to alter or deface a government website.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hactivist
  noun
• hacktivist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of hacktivism

1995–2000; hack ¹ (in the computer sense) + (ac)tivism

Example Sentences

So far, the attacks have caused disruption and embarrassment, but cyber-experts have become increasingly concerned by the explosion of hacktivism since the invasion.

From BBC • Mar. 19, 2022

“A lot of hackers don’t politically agree on anything. So your hacktivism, to get a lot of support, has to be very nonpartisan. But ‘lulz’ don’t need politics.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 8, 2021

The ideological heyday of hacktivism, Green said, was roughly a decade ago, when groups such as Anonymous and LulzSec won attention for their digital assaults on the Church of Scientology and the FBI.

From Washington Post • Oct. 7, 2021

Earlier waves of hacktivism, notably by the amorphous collective known as Anonymous in the early 2010s, largely faded away under law enforcement pressure.

From Reuters • Mar. 25, 2021

Its plot weaves in some global concerns from the time Bourne was away, including hacktivism, the growing influence of social media companies and mass surveillance.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2019