Kurzmeier, Michael
(2021)
Political Expression in Web Defacements.
PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.
Abstract
The idea of influencing public opinion through digital media is ubiquitous, yet little is
known about its origins. This thesis investigates the use of political communication
through hacked websites. It is at the same time an exploratory description of the
research tools and methods needed to find and retrieve such material.
The dissertation frames political expression through hacking as interference with the
strata of digital communication and positions it within a larger history of on- and offline
activist practices. The methodological section describes the difficulties of finding and
accessing defaced pages, which are almost exclusively held by community-based
archives. Based on already available and added metadata, the dataset of defacements is
surveyed and topics, periods of high activity and prominent defacer groups are
identified. Modes of expression are tracked to give insight to possible defacer
motivation. This survey then serves as the basis for the following analysis of two
emblematic clusters of activity: The Kashmir conflict and the 9/11 attacks. In a close
reading of selected defacements, communication strategies and general types of
defacements are described, thereby showcasing the diversity of defacer standpoints and
strategies which runs counter to the common uniform depiction of hackers. The notion
of defacements as forced injection of material into a public sphere is discussed
throughout these close readings and leads to the final analytical section discussing the
relation between defacements and WikiLeaks.
After reflecting on the themes that unite this dissertation, the conclusion reflects on the
preservation and availability of source material on defaced pages. The author expresses
the hope that both the research methodology as well as the applied analyses will
promote the understanding of web defacements as a resource for inquests into online
political expression.
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