In 2010, American journalist Barrett Lancaster Brown founded Project PM, a crowdsourced investigation site. The mission of the organization was to analyze leaks from the military-industrial complex. Project PM, short for Project PardonaMe, investigated practices of private military contractors (PMCs) and security companies. Brown played a significant role in the project, serving as its spokesperson and primary contact for journalists and media outlets. He also contributed to the research and writing of the articles published on the site.
As a prominent figure in the online world, Barrett Brown was associated with the hacktivist group known as "Anonymous." He had worked with the group on numerous projects, including the release of hacked information and attacks against websites of high-profile targets. He was known for his involvement in the HBGary Federal hack in 2011, in which Anonymous hacked into the servers of the cybersecurity firm and published emails and documents that exposed the company's plans to smear and discredit WikiLeaks, a transparency organization. Brown was also reportedly close to other prominent members of Anonymous.
Shortly after the launch of the Project PM, several of the journalists involved, including Brown, were investigated and eventually arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Brown himself was initially accused of possessing and sharing stolen emails, as well as allegedly threatening an FBI agent. These accusations stemmed from his involvement in the investigation into the private security firm HBGary Federal, which had been hacked by Anonymous in 2011. As a result of these arrests and legal issues, the project was forced to suspend its operations and eventually shut down.
Anonymous was a loosely organized group of hackers and activists who first came to prominence in the early 2000s, although its origins can be traced back to the early 1990s online message boards on websites such as 4chan and encyclopedia dramatica. The group is known for its decentralized structure and its commitment to online anonymity, using software tools such as Tor and VPNs to protect their identities. Anonymous has carried out a range of hacktivism activities, including website defacements, DDOS attacks, and data leaks. The group has been involved in protests and campaigns against a range of targets, including governments, corporations, and religious groups such as the Church of Scientology. In the late 2000s, Anonymous began protesting against the Church of Scientology, after the church filed a lawsuit against YouTube for hosting a series of videos that were critical of the church and its practices. Anonymous carried out a range of actions against the church, including DDOS attacks on their websites, the release of confidential church documents, and physical protests at the church's locations across the world. Tom Cruise, an high-profile member of the Church of Scientology, publicly criticized Anonymous for their hacking and protests against the church. He described the group as "criminal and malicious", and defended the church's policies and practices.
Brown's association with Anonymous was marked by a mixture of collaboration and tension. Brown was a longtime supporter and advocate of the group, and had been involved in several high-profile hacking operations that Anonymous had conducted. He was also seen as a spokesperson for the group, regularly giving interviews to the media and participating in protests and other events organized by Anonymous. However, Brown's relationship with the group was not without its difficulties and conflicts. He was criticized by some within Anonymous for his perceived self-promotion and ego-centric behavior, and was eventually distanced from the group as his legal issues mounted.
Barrett Brown was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison. He was found guilty on charges of transmitting and disclosing threats and disclosing unlawfully accessed information. His sentencing was reduced from the initial sentence of 124 months, due to Brown's cooperation with authorities in their investigation into Anonymous and hacker Jeremy Hammond. During his incarceration, Brown published a series of jailhouse memoirs in D Magazine and The Intercept. He was held at various federal correctional institutions, including the United States Penitentiary in Pollock, Louisiana, and the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner, North Carolina. Brown's experience in prison included time spent in solitary confinement, as well as confrontations with other inmates.
After his release from federal prison in 2016, Barrett Brown largely stepped out of the limelight and refocused on his personal life. He had married while incarcerated, and after his release, he and his wife relocated to Antigua, where they lived for a few years. In 2018, Brown was forced to move again after being refused a work permit, which was required to legally reside in Antigua. He relocated to the UK, where he initially worked as a taxi driver was involved in the 12-step program, a self-help or support group for individuals with substance abuse or other dependencies. Brown has mentioned that it has played a significant role in his recovery and sobriety.
My Glorious Defeats: Hacktivist, Narcissist, Anonymous is a memoir written by Barrett Brown that chronicles his life, including his experiences with addiction, mental illness, and his involvement with Anonymous and Project PM. The book recounts his struggles with various substances such as alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and prescription drugs. He also acknowledges that he suffers from mental illness, including depression and anxiety, as well as his bipolar disorder diagnosis. It also details his involvement in the hacker collective Anonymous and the founding of the organization Project PM, as well as the legal issues and imprisonment that followed. Overall, the book is a candid and introspective look at the life of Barrett Brown and his attempts to come to terms with his past. Reviewers have praised Brown's honesty and introspection in sharing his personal experiences and struggles with addiction and mental illness.
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Photo credit: Barrett Brown superimposed over Jefferson Memorial. Photo credit: Adapted by WhoWhatWhy.org from Mark Fischer / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) and Theta00 / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0).
The Ballad of Barrett Brown He was a “preppy anarchist” who went to jail for his fight against the surveillance state. Was it all for nothing? By Jacob Silverman. Publication: New York Magazine https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-ballad-of-barrett-brown.html
Anonymous' Barrett Brown Is Free—and Ready to Pick New Fights, by Andy Greenberg. Publication: Wired Magazine
https://www.wired.com/2016/12/anonymous-barrett-brown-free-ready-pick-new-fights/