Weev sentenced to 41 months and why Zombies should care #FreeWeev

Weev is the internet handle of Andrew Alan Escher Auernheimer who was sentenced today to 41 months for crimes under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Apparently he hacked AT&T by finding a simple flaw in a public website that revealed email addresses of iPad users. He didn’t use the hack for malice but instead sent the information to Gawker as a warning about the lack of privacy on big corporate servers. As a result, rather than being commended for his abilities and for exposing the flaw, he was prosecuted and was sentenced today.

The criminalization of youth culture is highly related to zombies. Particularly as regards aggressive prosecutions under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Recall Aaron Swartz was Murdered, and recall Ryan Harris also in jail for what was arguably computer research.

Computers and the internet are involved in all aspects of modern life. But we are setting up a society where the average user is not allowed to touch the backend of their experience. They are forced to trust the large corporations. They don’t want us to know how the internet works, just buy stuff with it. Weev may have been an asshole and troll but this doesn’t seem right.

Last night, Weev took to Reddit for a last chat with the world before prison. Many comments think he deserves to go to jail (afterall, he was an ugly troll) but many others express opinions that the Computer Fraud Act sets punishments too high.

Weev said: “I’m going to jail for doing arithmetic.” – see The Verge: “Andrew ‘weev’ Auernheimer sentenced to 41 months for exploiting AT&T iPad security flaw” by Matt Brian — And see Ars: “Internet troll “weev” sentenced to 41 months for AT&T/iPad hack” by Timothy B. Lee

And see the Suicide Girls version of the story by Nicole Powers “We are Weev” explaining that Encyclopedia Dramatica (the satire site) was used against Weev – likening it to using an SNL skit as evidence — will have to find out more about that because it relates to zombie facts.

Most of us are internet zombies and they are criminalizing those of us with the minds to stop it.