Self-proclaimed 'hacktivists' often work anonymously, sometimes operating in groups while other times operating as a lone wolf with several cyber-personas all corresponding to one activist within the cyberactivism umbrella that has been gaining public interest and power in pop-culture. Some definitions include acts of cyberterrorism while others simply reaffirm the use of technological hacking to effect social change. Due to the variety of meanings of its root words, the definition of hacktivism is nebulous and there exists significant disagreement over the kinds of activities and purposes it encompasses. However, the term is frequently attributed to the Cult of the Dead Cow (cDc) member 'Omega,' who used it in a 1996 e-mail to the group. Writer Jason Sack first used the term hacktivism in a 1995 article in conceptualizing New Media artist Shu Lea Cheang's film Fresh Kill.

Īccording to the United States 2020-2022 Counterintelligence Strategy, in addition to state adversaries and transnational criminal organizations, 'ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations, also pose significant threats'. But just as hack can sometimes mean cyber crime, hacktivism can be used to mean activism that is malicious, destructive, and undermining the security of the Internet as a technical, economic, and political platform. The word was coined to characterize electronic direct action as working toward social change by combining programming skills with critical thinking. 'Hacktivism' is a controversial term with several meanings. Hacking as a form of activism can be carried out through a network of activists, such as Anonymous and WikiLeaks, or through a singular activist, working in collaboration toward common goals without an overarching authority figure. Freenet, a peer-to-peer platform for censorship-resistant communication, is a prime example of translating political thought and freedom of speech into code. Hacktivist activities span many political ideals and issues.

With roots in hacker culture and hacker ethics, its ends are often related to free speech, human rights, or freedom of information movements.

In Internet activism, hacktivism, or hactivism (a portmanteau of hack and activism), is the use of computer-based techniques such as hacking as a form of civil disobedience to promote a political agenda or social change.

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