A History of the Internet's Most Notorious Villains

The NSA is watching.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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If you've ever been on the Internet, then you know what the power of anonymity will do to some people. When people feel like they can hide their identity, some of them will do whatever they want, engaging in lewd, creepy, or unethical behaviors. Colloquially, these people are known as trolls, but they come in more forms than one. Most are familiar with trolls as being the type of people who incite arguments on messageboards, post any sort of sick prejudice they have on their mind, and generally act as they please, regardless of who sees it. 

But, as the Internet has grown and progressed over the years, trolls have become to assume a number of different roles both online and offline. Suddenly, figures like Dread Pirate Roberts and Hunter Moore began to emerge, and with them, came the idea of the Internet villain. These were figures who used the web to become larger than life and create their own type of celebrity, regardless of its legality or moral value. And since Moore and Roberts have both been recently arrested because of their web crimes, we thought it was time to put together a History of the Internet's Most Notorious Villains. Again, these villains come in a number of different forms, but there's no doubt that when you talk about enemies of the Internet, you have to talk about them, first and foremost. 

Senator Ted Stevens

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Michael Crook

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Blue Coat Systems

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SOPA

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Kim Dotcom

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The Syrian Electronic Army

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The NSA

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Dread Pirate Roberts

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Hunter Moore

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Your ISP

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