As expected, Anonymous has been closely tracking the Panama Papers case on social media. Though the hacktivist group has supported the full disclosure of the 11.5 million documents to the public, it has not claimed to have any information from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca's database. In the past, the organization has enticed the world by advertising the impending release of scandalous findings. This time around, Anonymous isn't bothering to formulate a cloud of suspense. Similarly to WikiLeaks, the group is advocating that the Panama Papers be made searchable.
Though Anonymous has nothing to do with the Panama Papers, the case falls right into the group's ideological jurisdiction. A mass exposure of money laundering and tax evasion among the world's elite, the Panama Papers have pointed fingers at high-profile political leaders and celebrities who reserve tax havens overseas through Mossack Fonseca. Culprits most notably include Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, the son of former Egyptian President Alaa Mubarak, the father of British Prime Minister David Cameron, and Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur Davio Gunnlaugsson.
As the case unfolded, Anonymous retweeted famous whisteblowers like Edward Snowden and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Unlike Snowden, who believes that some gatekeeping is necessary when releasing sensitive information, Assange opposes the journalistic practice of handpicking facts to share with the public. By retweeting the denouncement of media gatekeepers, Anonymous revealed its standing in this case.
Throughout the past year, uncovering and exposing the corruption of public figures has been Anonymous' forté. The hackers have teamed up against Donald Trump, Sony, the Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department, ISIS, and political figures who allegedly have ties to the KKK, to name a few. However, since the Panama Papers whistleblower was extremely cautious while communicating his findings with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and media outlets, Anonymous will likely have a difficult time getting their hands on the files. In the meantime, they're using multiple Twitter accounts to pose questions and provide answers about the documents released thus far. The group prides itself upon being decentralized and thus lacks a single official account.
All the while, Anonymous is staying true to its classic "above the law" style. And it's not that cryptic.
