Hong Kong: Hong Kong police said on Sunday they had arrested a 21-year-old man after he reportedly said on social networking site Facebook that he would hack several government websites.
Police said the man, who was later released on bail, was held on suspicion of “access to a computer with criminal or dishonest intent” after he allegedly threatened to hack seven government websites between June and August this year.
The unidentified man was arrested on Friday before being released on bail, the spokesman told AFP. He faces up to five years imprisonment if found guilty.
The man is a member of the global hacker group Anonymous, the South China Morning Post said. The group is said to have 20 members. The last posting on the “Anonymous HK” Facebook page on July 22 urged authorities to show “respect” to citizens
The notorious group, which is believed to be a loosely affiliated network of “hacktivists”, has attacked sites of groups as varied as MasterCard and Visa, the US Justice Department, and the Tunisian and Yemen governments. (AFP)