Twitter accounts reportedly belonging to ISIS supporters have been hacked to display LGBT pride images and gay porn. An Anonymous-affiliated hacker known as WauchulaGhost has taken over as many as 200 ISIS-related Twitter accounts in response to the tragic Orlando nightclub shooting, according toNewsweek.
"I did it for the lives lost in Orlando," said the hacker, who has chosen not to reveal his identity or location. "Daesh [ISIS] have been spreading and praising the attack, so I thought I would defend those that were lost. The taking of innocent lives will not be tolerated." According to the hacker, he was inspired to act because "shit is getting too close to home."
WauchulaGhost first started hacking pro-ISIS accounts several months ago, though he shifted the tone of these hacks after hearing news of the shooting at gay nightclub Pulse, the largest mass shooting in the nation's history. But the hacker insists these hacks are in no way an affront to the Muslim community at large.
"Our actions are directed at Jihadist extremists," the hacker said. "Many of our own [group of hackers] are Muslim and we respect all religions that do not take innocent lives."
Earlier this year, Twitter announced it had suspended more than 125,000 accounts for violating its strict terrorism promotion policy:
Like most people around the world, we are horrified by the atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups. We condemn the use of Twitter to promote terrorism and the Twitter Rules make it clear that this type of behavior, or any violent threat, is not permitted on our service. As the nature of the terrorist threat has changed, so has our ongoing work in this area. Since the middle of 2015 alone, we’ve suspended over 125,000 accounts for threatening or promoting terrorist acts, primarily related to ISIS.
Hackers believed to be connected with the hacktivism group Anonymous previously have launched retaliatory attacks on Turkey, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, the Ku Klux Klan, and officials involved in Michigan's ongoing toxic water crisis.
