Skip to main content

Anonymous steps into Kaitlyn Hunt story

kaitlyn_huntThe story surrounding Kaitlyn Hunt – an 18-year-old American who finds herself facing prosecution over her ongoing relationship with her three-years-junior girlfriend – leaves much to get upset about. After all, what’s not controversial about the prospect of the teenager facing jail time for “lewd and lascivious bahevior” simply for having a girlfriend? Beyond that, however, authorities conducted controlled conversations between the two to use as evidence – an invasion of privacy that should upset even the most staunch homophobes.

No surprise, then, that Anonymous has become involved with the story. The non-group has previously sought those whose blackmail led a teen to suicide and unmasked teen bullies online, so the idea of them becoming involved in a situation where, again, a teen is being shamed for entirely normal behavior fits into their increasingly high profile as social crusaders. The difference in this case, however, is that this isn’t Anonymous versus bullies – it’s Anonymous versus the law.

“Greetings, Bigots,” starts the message released from Anonymous. “We are Operation Justice. The last operation our team conducted led to the case of Rehtaeh Parson’s being re-opened and to an independent investigation into the actions of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. You may have read about us.”

Characterizing Kaitlyn as “a bright young girl who was involved in a consensual, same-sex relationship while both she and her partner were minors,” the Anonymous message poses a blunt question to the Indian River County State Attorney’s Office in relation to the case: “Who in your office didn’t have the balls or the intelligence to put an end to this ridiculousness?”

The group continued by citing their displeasure with the country’s intolerance. “There are quite a few organizations in this country that would prefer that our elected officials not hire bigots that hunt down and file erroneous charges against young women because of their sexual orientation,” they write. “The fact is, the puritanism you practice doesn’t have a place in this world any longer.”

Instead of a more direct (or, perhaps, destructive) threat, the Anonymous message simply suggests that a reconsideration of events may be in order, otherwise a petition calling for resignations may be forthcoming. For the bad reputation that Anonymous has gathered around itself over the years, seeing this kind of formal protest against injustice seems rather inspiring. We’ll still hold onto our hats for a possible attack if things don’t change though. It’s only natural.

Graeme McMillan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A transplant from the west coast of Scotland to the west coast of America, Graeme is a freelance writer with a taste for pop…
How to change your language in Google Chrome on desktop
Chrome OS

Google Chrome supports a wide range of languages. While it'll default to English in most cases, there's nothing stopping you from changing its settings and displaying pages in Spanish, French, or dozens of other languages.

Changing your default language in Chrome takes only a few seconds, and the technique used is the same across Windows and Mac. Aside from changing your language, note that Chrome now gives you the option to automatically translate pages written in another language – making it easy to read content from around the globe.

Read more
23 of the best Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks
The Netflix home screen.

Netflix is one of the most popular streaming platforms for all things movies and TV shows. Home to an immense library of titles, the Netflix archive is constantly changing and evolving, and so are the many ways you can use your Netflix account. 

For instance, did you know you can access region-locked Netflix shows and flicks by using a VPN? Or that you can disable that pesky Autoplay feature? There are tons of Netflix hacks, tips, and tricks out there, so we’ve gone ahead and rounded up all of our favorites! 
Expand your streaming with a VPN

Read more
How to make a GIF from a YouTube video
woman sitting and using laptop

Sometimes, whether you're chatting with friends or posting on social media, words just aren't enough -- you need a GIF to fully convey your feelings. If there's a moment from a YouTube video that you want to snip into a GIF, the good news is that you don't need complex software to so it. There are now a bunch of ways to make a GIF from a YouTube video right in your browser.

If you want to use desktop software like Photoshop to make a GIF, then you'll need to download the YouTube video first before you can start making a GIF. However, if you don't want to go through that bother then there are several ways you can make a GIF right in your browser, without the need to download anything. That's ideal if you're working with a low-specced laptop or on a phone, as all the processing to make the GIF is done in the cloud rather than on your machine. With these options you can make quick and fun GIFs from YouTube videos in just a few minutes.
Use GIFs.com for great customization
Step 1: Find the YouTube video that you want to turn into a GIF (perhaps a NASA archive?) and copy its URL.

Read more