Anonymous Hacks ISIS Twitter Accounts, Turns Them pro-LGBT

Following last week’s mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, a hacker took revenge on the Islamic State after they celebrated the attack with a series of sick tweets. Homophobia among the self-proclaimed caliphate is well-documented, and the group is said to reserve its most gruesome methods of abuse for those found to be gay. As the world mourned the horrific attack in Orlando, ISIS celebrated.

To honor victims of the attack, one vigilante hacker’s technological war on terror involved taking over Twitter accounts that belong to members of ISIS — and replacing the jihadist content with rainbows, love, and celebrations of gay pride. Messages posted to compromised accounts included, “I’m gay and proud,” and “Out and proud,” before he added the accounts to a public list titled “Jacked Accounts” — and Twitter suspended them.

One of the hacks included changing the account’s profile picture to a gay flag and tweeting, “Hello World. It’s time I share with you a little secret..I’m Gay and I’m Proud!!” #GayPride #OrlandoWillNotBeForgotten !!! #GhostOfNoNation”

The hacker, WauchulaGhost, who is based in the U.S. and affiliated with hacktivist collective Anonymous, said he did it for the lives lost in Orlando. Because Daesh (ISIS) was praising the attack, he wanted to defend the lives of those lost. “The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated,” he told Newsweek.

It’s well-known ISIS utilizes social media to expand its war beyond borders, recruit fighters, and spread its message of hatred and intolerance. After last November’s Paris attacks, Anonymous also declared war on the Islamic State. The collective published a video in French, warning the terror group to expect them. “We will hunt you down,” they claimed.

In the last year, Twitter has suspended more than 125,000 accounts primarily related to ISIS for threatening or promoting terrorist acts. Since beginning his one-man social media campaign against the group several months ago, WauchulaGhost’s endeavors have resulted in the takeover of around 200 accounts, many of which have since been deleted by Twitter.

The Florida attacks have inspired him to continue his hacktivism, and he intends to continue hijacking the terror group’s accounts with the aim of diminishing their online presence. “My goal waking up in the morning is to see messages from Daesh telling me they’re going to kill me or cut my head off,” he told the Washington Post. “The madder thy get the happier I get”

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