ABSTRACT
The post-2008 shift of certain members of Anonymous toward more overt political action should lead us to consider the relationship between them and what one might define as mainstream politics—in addition to considering their role as activists, hacktivists, vigilantes, and bandits. This chapter begins with a brief description of Anonymous and outlines some of relevant writing on the politics and political actions of the loosely coordinated group. The release of the infamous Steubenville video showing a student discussing the alleged sexual assault was powerful, yet Anonymous have also released the names, addresses, and personal details of individuals who have been shown to be innocent of any crimes. The intertwining of social and political issues meant that Steubenville and Maryville were as much about politics as they were about sexual assault, in much the same way that Ferguson was just as much about local and state politics as it was about police violence.
