Gabriella Coleman, a digital anthropologist most famous for her work with the Hacktivist collective Anonymous, interviews the most influential actors in each era of the evolution of hacking culture from the 1970s to the present day, unveiling how they have moulded the digital world, pop culture and global politics.
Gabriella Coleman, a digital anthropologist most famous for her work with the Hacktivist collective Anonymous, interviews the most influential actors in each era of the evolution of hacking culture from the 1970s to the present day, unveiling how they have moulded the digital world, pop culture and global politics.
Biella explores the legacy of Aaron Swartz. From the age of 14, Aaron was a prolific hacker, inventor and activist. He was integral in the creation of Creative Commons and the Internet Archive, co-founder social media site Reddit, and was passionate in his activism work that culminated in the dismissal of the Stop Online Piracy Act in the USA. But Aaron took his own life at the age of 26 when he was charged with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, facing decades in prison and millions of dollars in fines - a court case that many at the time felt was completely unjustified.
Biella speaks with Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig who worked with Aaron on the Creative Commons project, and a Lisa Rein, co-founder of ‘Aaron Swartz Day’ that works to carry on projects started or inspired by Aaron’s work, and discusses why it’s important to remember Aaron’s story, the legacy of his work, and to find out if a recent Supreme Court ruling on the CFAA means that people like Aaron may be safer in the future.
