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{{short description|Defunct internet trolling group}}
{{Redirect|GNAA}}
{{pp-move-indef|small=yes}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Gay Nigger Association of America
| image = Gnaa logo.svg
| image_border =
| size = 150px
| alt =
| caption =
| abbreviation = GNAA
| type = ]s
| formation = {{start date and age|2002}}<ref name="about" /> <!-- use {{start date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} -->
| extinction = <!-- use {{end date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> <!-- hopefully useful, just saying -->
| leader_title = <!--President-->
| leader_name = <!-- paz<ref name="president"/> -->
| membership =
| purpose = Trolling
| affiliations = ]<ref name="ibtimes" /><ref name="Atlantic" /><ref name="rohr" />
| website = www.gnaa.eu <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> <!-- vs "Your edit was not saved because it contains a new external link to a site registered on Misplaced Pages's blacklist." -->
}}

The '''Gay Nigger Association of America''' ('''GNAA''') was an ] group. They targeted several prominent websites and internet personalities including '']'', ], ], ], ], and prominent members of the ]. They also released software products, and leaked screenshots and information about upcoming operating systems. In addition, they maintained a software repository and a wiki-based site dedicated to internet commentary.<ref name="GLS" /><ref name="punto" />

Members of the GNAA also founded ], a ] information security group. Members of Goatse Security released information in June 2010 about email addresses on ]'s website from people who had subscribed to mobile data service using the ]. After the vulnerability was disclosed, the then-president of the GNAA, ], and a GNAA member, "JacksonBrown", were arrested.<ref name="Bilton" />

==Origins, known members and name==
The group was run by a president.<ref name="rohr" /> ] researcher ] stated that it was unclear whether or not there was initially a clearly defined group of GNAA members, or if founding and early members of the GNAA were online troublemakers united under the name in order to disrupt websites.<ref name="nobodies" /> However, professor ] and Ross Cisneros claimed that they were an organized group of anti-blogging trolls.<ref name="GLS" /><ref name="cisneros" /> Reporters also referred to the GNAA as a group.<!--<ref name="rohr" />--><ref name="scotsman" /><ref name="ffbug" /><ref name="netwerk" />

In her 2017 book ''Troll Hunting,'' Australian journalist ] identified the president of the GNAA as an individual from ] known as "Meepsheep."<ref name="trollhunting" /> Known former presidents of the GNAA were security researcher Jaime "asshurtmacfags" Cochran, who also co-founded the hacking group "Rustle League,"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nn4gvk/rustle-league-are-making-sure-trolling-stays-funny |title=Meet the Mysterious Hacking Collective Who Love Trolling Anonymous |publisher=] |date=February 22, 2013 |access-date=January 17, 2022 }}</ref> and "timecop," founder of the anime fansub group "Dattebayo."<ref name="trollhunting" /><ref name="ViceCochran">{{cite news |last1=Eordogh |first1=Fruzsina |title=Meet the Mysterious Hacking Collective Who Love Trolling Anonymous |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/nn4gvk/rustle-league-are-making-sure-trolling-stays-funny |access-date=6 September 2022 |work=www.vice.com |language=en}}</ref> Other members included former president ], Daniel "JacksonBrown" Spitler,<ref name="Bilton" /><ref name="dailytech" /> and former spokesman Leon Kaiser.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytech.com/Interview+Goatse+Security+on+FBI+Charges+Following+ATT+iPad+Breach/article20693.htm |title=DailyTech - Interview: Goatse Security on FBI Charges Following AT&T iPad Breach |access-date=January 31, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331112332/http://www.dailytech.com/Interview+Goatse+Security+on+FBI+Charges+Following+ATT+iPad+Breach/article20693.htm |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> GNAA has also been documented as having been loosely affiliated with the satirical wiki ].<ref name="trollhunting" />

The group's name incited controversy and was described as "causing immediate alarm in anyone with a semblance of good taste," "intentionally offensive,"<ref name="nobodies" /> and "spectacularly offensive."<ref name="scotsman" /> The group denied allegations of racism and homophobia, explaining that the name was intended to ] on the internet and challenge ] (claiming it was derived from the 1992 Danish satirical ] film '']'').<ref name="GLS" /> In an interview on the OfFenzive podcast, president Weev recalled an anecdote where the organization did actually once contain a member that was a homosexual black male.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://podtail.com/en/podcast/offenzive/ep-18-andrew-weev-auernheimer/ | title=Ep 18 Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer – OfFenzive – Podcast | date=January 29, 2021 }}</ref>

==Trolling==
The GNAA used many different methods of trolling. One was to simply "]" a weblog's comment form with text consisting of ].<ref name="GLS" /><ref name="scotsman" /> On Misplaced Pages, members of the group created an article about the group, while adhering to Misplaced Pages's rules and policies, a process Andrew Lih says "essentially the system against itself."<ref name="nobodies" /> Another method included attacking many ] channels and networks using different ] techniques.<ref name="IRC" />

The GNAA also produced ]s containing ].<ref name="GLS" /><ref name="porndotcom" /> One such site, "Last Measure," contained embedded malware that opened up "an endless cascade of pop-up windows displaying pornography or horrific medical pictures."<ref name="porndotcom" /><ref name="jones" /> They also performed ] demonstrations.<ref name="IRC" /><ref name="obamabug" /> These actions occasionally interrupted the normal operation of popular websites.

===2000s===
In July 2004, two GNAA members submitted leaked screenshots of the upcoming operating system ]<ref name="giga" /> to the popular ] news website ].<ref name="macrumors-tiger" />

In June 2005, the GNAA announced that it had created a Mac OS X Tiger release for ] ] processors which caught media attention from various sources.<ref name="macdailynews" /><ref name="wild" /><ref name="cultofmac" /> The next day, the supposed leak was mentioned on the ] television show ''].''<ref name="aots" /> The ] released via ] merely booted a ]<ref name="aots" /><ref name="rubygoldmine" /> instead of the leaked operating system.<ref name="bandwagon" />

On February 3, 2007, the GNAA successfully managed to convince CNN reporter ] that "one in three Americans" believe that the ] were ].<ref name="CNN3" /> CNN subsequently ran a story erroneously reporting this, involving a round-table discussion regarding antisemitism and an interview with the father of a Jewish 9/11 victim.<ref name="CNN2" /> The GNAA-owned website said that "over 4,000" Jews were absent from work at the World Trade Center on 9/11.<ref name="CNN2" />

On February 11, 2007, an attack was launched on the website of US presidential candidate (and future US president) ], where the group's name was caused to appear on the website's front page.<ref name="obama" />

===2010s===
In late January 2010, the GNAA used a then-obscure phenomenon known as cross-protocol scripting (a combination of ] and ]) to cause users of the ] IRC network to unknowingly flood IRC channels after visiting websites containing inter-protocol exploits.<ref name="ffbug" /> They also have used a combination of inter-protocol, cross-site, and ] bugs in both the ] and ] web browsers to flood IRC channels.<ref name="netwerk" />

On October 30, the GNAA began a trolling campaign in the aftermath of ] on the US East Coast, spreading fake photographs and ] of alleged looters in action. After the GNAA published a press-release detailing the incident,<ref name="SandyLootCrew" /> mainstream media outlets began detailing how the prank was carried out.<ref name="SMH" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Dillon |first=Kit |title=Less Looting, More Trolling: Daily Mail, Drudge Get Pwnd By Twitter Pranksters #SandyLootCrew |url=http://betabeat.com/2012/11/less-looting-more-trolling-daily-mail-drudge-get-pwnd-by-twitter-pranksters/ |publisher=] |access-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref>

On December 3, the GNAA was identified as being responsible for a ] attack on ] that resulted in thousands of Tumblr blogs being defaced with a pro-GNAA message.<ref>{{cite web |last=Hepburn |first=Ned |url=http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/191704/tumblr-just-got-massively-hacked/ |title=Tumblr just got massively hacked |work=Deathandtaxesmag.com |date=December 3, 2012 |access-date=March 19, 2013}}</ref>

In January 2013, the GNAA collaborated with users on the imageboard ] to start a "#cut4bieber" trend on Twitter, encouraging fans of Canadian pop singer ] to practice ].<ref name="cut4bieber" /><ref name="NYDailyNews" />

From 2014 into 2015, GNAA members began playing an active role in the ], sabotaging efforts made by pro-Gamergate parties. Several GNAA members were able to gain administrative access to ]'s (an imageboard associated with Gamergate) primary Gamergate board, which they disrupted and ultimately closed. The GNAA also claimed responsibility for releasing private information related to many pro-Gamergate activists.<ref>{{cite web |last=Bernstein |first=Joseph |title=GamerGate's Headquarters Has Been Destroyed By Trolls |date=December 4, 2014 |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/josephbernstein/gamergates-headquarters-has-been-destroyed-by-trolls |publisher=] |access-date=April 25, 2015}}</ref>

On October 13, 2016, GNAA member Meepsheep vandalized Misplaced Pages to cause the entries for ] and ] to be overlapped with pornographic images and a message endorsing Republican presidential candidate ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://theslot.jezebel.com/hillary-and-bill-clintons-wikipedia-pages-subject-to-ex-1787755920 |title=Internet Trolls Vandalize Hillary and Bill Clinton's Misplaced Pages Pages in Extremely NSFW Way |last=O'Connor |first=Brendan |date=October 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013192508/http://theslot.jezebel.com/hillary-and-bill-clintons-wikipedia-pages-subject-to-ex-1787755920 |archive-date=October 13, 2016 |url-status=unfit |access-date=March 24, 2024}}</ref>

In August 2017, GNAA was named as having been involved in a feud between employees of the popular dating app ], and tenants of the apartment building in ] where the company was, at the time, illegally headquartered.<ref name="bumble">{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/josephbernstein/austin-luxury-high-rise-tenants-swiped-left-on-bumbles-code|title=Bumble's Former Neighbors Say It Was Using A Luxury Apartment Building As Its Personal Playground|last=Bernstein|first=Joseph|website=]|date=August 1, 2017|access-date=January 17, 2022}}</ref> Joseph Bernstein of ] reported that one of the building's residents contacted GNAA to "fight back" against Bumble after multiple complaints regarding the company's activities were ignored. The dispute resulted in Bumble choosing to relocate from the building, which GNAA claimed credit for in a press release the group spammed across several websites via ].<ref name="bumble"/>

==Goatse Security==
{{Main|Goatse Security}}
] ].]]
Several members of the GNAA with expertise in ]<ref name="ipadsec" /> computer security research began releasing information about several software vulnerabilities under the name "Goatse Security." The group chose to publish their work under a separate name because they thought that they would not be taken seriously.<ref name="dailytech" />

In June 2010, Goatse Security attracted mainstream media attention for their discovery of at least 114,000 unsecured ]es<ref name="npripad" /> registered to Apple iPad devices for early adopters of Apple's 3G iPad service.<ref name="Atlantic" /><ref name="sapo" /> The data was aggregated from AT&T's own servers by feeding a publicly available script with ]s containing randomly generated ]s, which would then return the associated email address. The ] soon investigated the incident. This investigation led to the arrest of then-GNAA President,<ref name="courtcase" /> Andrew 'weev' Auernheimer, on unrelated ]<ref name="assassination" /> resulting from an FBI search of his home.<ref name="dailytech" /><ref name="cnetdrugs" />

In January 2011, the Department of Justice announced that Auernheimer would be charged with one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and one count of fraud.<ref name="Charges" /> A co-defendant, Daniel Spitler, was released on bail.<ref name="msnbc" /><ref name="bailtime" /> In June 2011, Spitler pleaded guilty on both counts after reaching a plea agreement with US attorneys.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/23/daniel-spitler-ipad-hack-email-address-theft_n_883240.html |title=Daniel Spitler Pleads Guilty To iPad Hack, Email Address Theft |newspaper=Huffington Post |first=Catharine |last=Smith |date=June 23, 2011}}</ref> On November 20, 2012, Auernheimer was found guilty of one count of identity fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/11/att-hacker-found-guilty/ |title= Hacker Found Guilty of Breaching AT&T Site to Obtain iPad Customer Data |website=Wired.com |first=Kim |last=Zetter |date=November 20, 2012}}</ref> On April 11, 2014, these convictions were overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on the basis that the New Jersey venue was improper and Auernheimer was subsequently released from prison.<ref name="BBerg" />

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<ref name="BBerg">{{cite news |last=Voreacos |first=David |title=AT&T Hacker 'Weev' Parties and Tweets as Case Still Looms |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-14/at-t-hacker-weev-wants-indictment-tossed-after-prison-release.html |access-date=April 14, 2014 |work=] |date=April 14, 2014}}</ref>
<ref name="about">{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.gnaa.fr/about |publisher=GNAA |access-date=June 10, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720163753/http://www.gnaa.fr/about |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="Atlantic">{{cite news |first=Niraj |last=Chokshi |title=Meet One of the Hackers Who Exposed the iPad Security Leak |date=June 10, 2010 |publisher=] |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/06/meet-one-of-the-hackers-who-exposed-the-ipad-security-leak/57969/ |work=] |access-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="punto">{{cite news |title=FreeNode, allarme sicurezza |date=June 28, 2006 |url=http://punto-informatico.it/1544690/PI/News/freenode-allarme-sicurezza.aspx |work=PuntoInformatico |access-date=August 26, 2011 |language=it}}</ref>
<ref name="rohr">{{cite news |first=Altieres |last=Rohr |title=Saiba como ocorreu falha que expôs e-mails de 114 mil usuários do iPad |trans-title=Know how failure exposing 114 thousand iPad user email addresses happened |date=June 11, 2010 |url=http://g1.globo.com/tecnologia/noticia/2010/06/entenda-como-foi-falha-que-expos-e-mails-de-114-mil-usuarios-do-ipad.html |work=] |language=pt |access-date=September 13, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="GLS">{{cite book |first=Jodi |last=Dean |author-link=Jodi Dean |title=Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive |publisher=Polity Press |year=2010 |isbn=978-0-7456-4970-2 |location=] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qt1oRELvTScC&pg=PA6 |access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="macrumors-tiger">{{Citation |url=https://www.macrumors.com/2004/06/26/mac-os-x-10-4-tiger-screenshots/ |title=Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) Screenshots? |newspaper=] |date=June 26, 2004 |access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="rubygoldmine">{{Citation |url=https://gizmodo.com/107940/macindell-part-quatre-the-ruby-goldmine |title=MacInDell Part Quatre&nbsp;– The Ruby Goldmine |newspaper=] |date=June 15, 2005 |access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="CNN3">{{cite news |first=Deepthi |last=Welaratna |title=Terror! Conspiracy! Hoax! |date=April 6, 2007 |publisher=] |url=http://www.kqed.org/arts/multimedia/article.jsp?essid=15142 |work=KQED Arts |access-date=March 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110922105643/http://www.kqed.org/arts/multimedia/article.jsp?essid=15142 |archive-date=September 22, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="IRC">{{Citation |url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/01/30/firefox_interprotocol_attack/ |title=Firefox-based attack wreaks havoc on IRC users |newspaper=] |date=January 30, 2010 |access-date=August 27, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="obama">{{Citation |url=https://techcrunch.com/2007/02/11/very-bad-bug-a-barackobamacom/ |title=Very Ugly Bug at BarackObama.com |date=February 11, 2007 |newspaper=Tech crunch}}</ref>
<ref name="ffbug">{{cite news |first=Lucian |last=Constantin |title=Firefox Bug Used to Harass Entire IRC Network |date=January 30, 2010 |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Firefox-Bug-Used-to-Harass-an-Entire-IRC-Network-133613.shtml |work=] |access-date=March 17, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="netwerk">{{cite news |first=Sander |last=van der Meijs |title=Bug in Firefox gebruikt tegen IRC netwerk |date=February 1, 2010 |publisher=IDG Netherlands |url=http://webwereld.nl/nieuws/84529/bug-in-firefox-gebruikt-tegen-irc-netwerk.html |work=Webwereld |access-date=March 17, 2011 |language=nl |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722020857/http://webwereld.nl/nieuws/84529/bug-in-firefox-gebruikt-tegen-irc-netwerk.html |archive-date=July 22, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="nobodies">{{cite book |last1=Lih |first1=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Lih |title=The Misplaced Pages Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia |publisher=Hyperion |date=March 17, 2009 |location=Cambridge, UK |pages= |isbn=978-1-4001-1076-6|title-link=The Misplaced Pages Revolution}}<!--| access-date = July 27, 2010 --></ref>
<ref name="porndotcom">{{cite book |title=Porn.com: making sense of online pornography |publisher=Peter Lang |access-date=March 20, 2011 |isbn=978-1-4331-0207-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RNprMCakFf8C&pg=PA137 |last1=Attwood |first1=Feona |year=2010}}</ref>
<ref name="giga">{{cite news |title=Wie typisch |date=June 28, 2004 |url=http://www.giga.de/macnews/software/wie-typisch-39507 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802002127/http://www.giga.de/macnews/software/wie-typisch-39507 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 2, 2012 |work=Mac news |publisher=Giga |place=] |language=de |access-date=August 26, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="macdailynews">{{Citation |date=June 11, 2005 |newspaper=Mac daily news |url=https://macdailynews.com/2005/06/11/report_apple_mac_os_x_1041_for_intel_hits_piracy_sites/ |type=report |title=Apple Mac OS X 10.4.1 for Intel hits piracy sites |access-date=September 6, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="wild">{{Citation |url=https://www.engadget.com/2005/06/12/os-x-for-x86-already-in-the-wild/ |title=OS X for x86 already in the wild? |access-date=September 6, 2010 |newspaper=Engadget |date=June 12, 2005}}</ref>
<ref name="cultofmac">{{Citation |url=https://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2005/08/68501 |title=Mac Hacks Allow OS X on PCs |newspaper=Wired |access-date=September 8, 2010 |date=Aug 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727173936/http://www.wired.com/gadgets/mac/commentary/cultofmac/2005/08/68501 |archive-date=July 27, 2010}}</ref>
<ref name="aots">{{Cite episode |title=Attack of the Show! |series=Attack of the Show! |network=] |airdate=June 2005}}</ref>
<ref name="CNN2">{{Cite episode |title=Paula Zahn Now |series=Transcripts|network=] |airdate=February 3, 2007 |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/30/pzn.01.html}}</ref>
<ref name="bandwagon">{{Citation |url=http://www.tuaw.com/2005/08/12/jumping-on-the-bandwagon-os-x-on-x86-omg/ |title=Jumping on the bandwagon: OS X on x86! OMG! |publisher=] |access-date=September 7, 2010 |date=August 12, 2005}}</ref>
<ref name="ipadsec">. '']''. Accessed September 2, 2010.</ref>
<ref name="sapo">{{cite news |title=Falha de segurança que expõe donos do iPad investigada pelo FBI |trans-title=Security failure exposing iPad owners investigated by the FBI |date=June 11, 2010 |publisher=] |place=] |url=https://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/falha_de_seguranca_que_expoe_donos_do_ipad_in_1070542.html |work=Tek |access-date=March 17, 2011 |language=pt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723170251/http://tek.sapo.pt/noticias/computadores/falha_de_seguranca_que_expoe_donos_do_ipad_in_1070542.html |archive-date=July 23, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="npripad">. ]. Accessed September 6, 2010.</ref>
<ref name="cnetdrugs"> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110810024549/http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20007827-245.html |date=August 10, 2011 }}. CNET. Accessed September 1, 2010.</ref>
<ref name="dailytech">{{cite interview |last=Kaiser |first=Leon |interviewer=Mick, Jason |title=Interview: Goatse Security on FBI Charges Following AT&T iPad Breach |url=http://www.dailytech.com/Interview+Goatse+Security+on+FBI+Charges+Following+ATT+iPad+Breach/article20693.htm |type=Interview: transcript |work=] |date=January 19, 2011 |access-date=January 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331112332/http://www.dailytech.com/Interview+Goatse+Security+on+FBI+Charges+Following+ATT+iPad+Breach/article20693.htm |archive-date=March 31, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name="ibtimes">{{cite news |first=Jesse |last=Emspak |title=The Case Against The iPad Hackers |date=January 19, 2011 |url=http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/102701/20110119/case-against-ipad-hackers.htm |work=] |access-date=March 19, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125171737/http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/102701/20110119/case-against-ipad-hackers.htm |archive-date=January 25, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="scotsman">{{cite news |first=Stewart |last=Kirkpatrick |title=Lazy Guide to Net Culture: Dark side of the rainbow |date=November 22, 2005 |publisher=] |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/sci-tech/lazy_guide_to_net_culture_dark_side_of_the_rainbow_1_466037 |access-date=March 20, 2011}}</ref>
<ref name="courtcase">United States District Court&nbsp;— District Court of New Jersey, Docket: MAG 11-4022 (CCC). Filed with the court January 13, 2011</ref>
<ref name="assassination">{{cite book |title=Digital Assassination: Protecting Your Reputation, Brand, Or Business |year=2011 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-312-61791-2 |page=116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-lY4ZmDEA2sC&pg=PA116 |first1=Richard |last1=Torrenzano |first2=Mark W |last2=Davis}}</ref>
<ref name="Charges">{{cite news |url=http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9205403/Criminal_charges_filed_against_AT_T_iPad_attackers |title=Criminal charges filed against AT&T iPad attackers |work=Computerworld |date=January 18, 2011 |last1=McMillan |first1=Robert |last2=Jackson |first2=Joab}}</ref>
<ref name="msnbc">{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/41196595 |title=No bail for 2nd iPad e-mail address theft suspect |publisher=NBC News |date=January 21, 2011 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=February 15, 2011 |last=Voigt |first=Kurt |newspaper=MSNBC}}{{dead link|date=August 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
<ref name="bailtime">{{cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=13023509 |title=Suspect in iPad Data Theft Released on Bail in NJ |date=February 28, 2011 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=March 2, 2011 |last=Porter |first=David |newspaper=ABC News}}</ref>
<ref name="cisneros">{{cite thesis |type=SM |first=Ross B |last=Cisneros |title=Regarding Evil |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |year=2005}}</ref>
<ref name="jones">{{cite web |url=http://www.drstevejones.co.uk/Jones%20Horrorporn_Pornhorror.pdf |title=Horrorporn/Pornhorror: The Problematic Communities and Contexts of Online Shock Imagery |year=2011 |access-date=August 26, 2012 |author=Jones, Dr. Steve |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140318001710/http://www.drstevejones.co.uk/Jones%20Horrorporn_Pornhorror.pdf |archive-date=March 18, 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="cut4bieber">{{cite web |url=http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/176727/9 |title=Internet Trolls Start Sick Trend To Encourage Justin Bieber Fans To Self-Harm |work=stereoboard.com |date=January 8, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2013}}</ref>
<ref name="SandyLootCrew">{{cite web |last=Kaiser |first=Leon |title=GNAA Fabricates "Sandy Loot Crew", Media Bites |url=http://www.gnaa.eu/pr/2012-11-01-gnaa-sandy |publisher=GNAA |access-date=November 2, 2012 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103210825/http://www.gnaa.eu/pr/2012-11-01-gnaa-sandy |archive-date=November 3, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="SMH">{{cite news |last=Grubb |first=Ben |title=Twitter works up a storm over looting images |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/twitter-works-up-a-storm-over-looting-images-20121101-28lqf.html |work=] |access-date=November 2, 2012}}</ref>
<ref name="Bilton">{{cite news |last1=Bilton |first1=Nick |last2=Wortham |first2=Jenna |title=Two Are Charged With Fraud in iPad Security Breach |work=The New York Times |page=4 |date=January 19, 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/technology/19ipad.html}}</ref>
<ref name="NYDailyNews">{{cite news |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/cut4bieber-trending-topic-draws-shock-outrage-article-1.1235624 |title=Justin Bieber fans draw shock, outrage with gruesome 'Cut4Bieber' trending topic |work=NY Daily News}}</ref>
<ref name="obamabug">. ]. Accessed August 27, 2010.</ref>
<ref name="trollhunting">{{cite book |last1=Gorman |first1=Ginger |author-link= |title=Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and its Human Fallout |publisher=Hardie Grant |date=April 16, 2019 |location= |pages=185–194 |isbn=978-1743794357 |title-link= }}<!--| access-date = Jan 17, 2022 --></ref>
}}

{{Hacking in the 2010s}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gay Nigger Association of America}}
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Latest revision as of 02:49, 23 December 2024

Defunct internet trolling group "GNAA" redirects here. For other uses, see GNAA (disambiguation).

Gay Nigger Association of America
AbbreviationGNAA
Formation2002; 22 years ago (2002)
TypeInternet trolls
PurposeTrolling
AffiliationsGoatse Security
Websitewww.gnaa.eu

The Gay Nigger Association of America (GNAA) was an internet trolling group. They targeted several prominent websites and internet personalities including Slashdot, Misplaced Pages, CNN, Barack Obama, Alex Jones, and prominent members of the blogosphere. They also released software products, and leaked screenshots and information about upcoming operating systems. In addition, they maintained a software repository and a wiki-based site dedicated to internet commentary.

Members of the GNAA also founded Goatse Security, a grey hat information security group. Members of Goatse Security released information in June 2010 about email addresses on AT&T's website from people who had subscribed to mobile data service using the iPad. After the vulnerability was disclosed, the then-president of the GNAA, weev, and a GNAA member, "JacksonBrown", were arrested.

Origins, known members and name

The group was run by a president. New media researcher Andrew Lih stated that it was unclear whether or not there was initially a clearly defined group of GNAA members, or if founding and early members of the GNAA were online troublemakers united under the name in order to disrupt websites. However, professor Jodi Dean and Ross Cisneros claimed that they were an organized group of anti-blogging trolls. Reporters also referred to the GNAA as a group.

In her 2017 book Troll Hunting, Australian journalist Ginger Gorman identified the president of the GNAA as an individual from Colorado known as "Meepsheep." Known former presidents of the GNAA were security researcher Jaime "asshurtmacfags" Cochran, who also co-founded the hacking group "Rustle League," and "timecop," founder of the anime fansub group "Dattebayo." Other members included former president Andrew "weev" Auernheimer, Daniel "JacksonBrown" Spitler, and former spokesman Leon Kaiser. GNAA has also been documented as having been loosely affiliated with the satirical wiki Encyclopedia Dramatica.

The group's name incited controversy and was described as "causing immediate alarm in anyone with a semblance of good taste," "intentionally offensive," and "spectacularly offensive." The group denied allegations of racism and homophobia, explaining that the name was intended to sow disruption on the internet and challenge social norms (claiming it was derived from the 1992 Danish satirical blaxploitation film Gayniggers from Outer Space). In an interview on the OfFenzive podcast, president Weev recalled an anecdote where the organization did actually once contain a member that was a homosexual black male.

Trolling

The GNAA used many different methods of trolling. One was to simply "crapflood" a weblog's comment form with text consisting of repeated words and phrases. On Misplaced Pages, members of the group created an article about the group, while adhering to Misplaced Pages's rules and policies, a process Andrew Lih says "essentially the system against itself." Another method included attacking many Internet Relay Chat channels and networks using different IRC flooding techniques.

The GNAA also produced shock sites containing malware. One such site, "Last Measure," contained embedded malware that opened up "an endless cascade of pop-up windows displaying pornography or horrific medical pictures." They also performed proof of concept demonstrations. These actions occasionally interrupted the normal operation of popular websites.

2000s

In July 2004, two GNAA members submitted leaked screenshots of the upcoming operating system Mac OS X v10.4 to the popular Macintosh news website MacRumors.

In June 2005, the GNAA announced that it had created a Mac OS X Tiger release for Intel x86 processors which caught media attention from various sources. The next day, the supposed leak was mentioned on the G4 television show Attack of the Show. The ISO image released via BitTorrent merely booted a shock image instead of the leaked operating system.

On February 3, 2007, the GNAA successfully managed to convince CNN reporter Paula Zahn that "one in three Americans" believe that the September 11, 2001, terror attacks were carried out by Israeli agents. CNN subsequently ran a story erroneously reporting this, involving a round-table discussion regarding antisemitism and an interview with the father of a Jewish 9/11 victim. The GNAA-owned website said that "over 4,000" Jews were absent from work at the World Trade Center on 9/11.

On February 11, 2007, an attack was launched on the website of US presidential candidate (and future US president) Barack Obama, where the group's name was caused to appear on the website's front page.

2010s

In late January 2010, the GNAA used a then-obscure phenomenon known as cross-protocol scripting (a combination of cross-site scripting and inter-protocol exploitation) to cause users of the Freenode IRC network to unknowingly flood IRC channels after visiting websites containing inter-protocol exploits. They also have used a combination of inter-protocol, cross-site, and integer overflow bugs in both the Firefox and Safari web browsers to flood IRC channels.

On October 30, the GNAA began a trolling campaign in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy on the US East Coast, spreading fake photographs and tweets of alleged looters in action. After the GNAA published a press-release detailing the incident, mainstream media outlets began detailing how the prank was carried out.

On December 3, the GNAA was identified as being responsible for a cross-site scripting attack on Tumblr that resulted in thousands of Tumblr blogs being defaced with a pro-GNAA message.

In January 2013, the GNAA collaborated with users on the imageboard 4chan to start a "#cut4bieber" trend on Twitter, encouraging fans of Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber to practice self-harm.

From 2014 into 2015, GNAA members began playing an active role in the Gamergate controversy, sabotaging efforts made by pro-Gamergate parties. Several GNAA members were able to gain administrative access to 8chan's (an imageboard associated with Gamergate) primary Gamergate board, which they disrupted and ultimately closed. The GNAA also claimed responsibility for releasing private information related to many pro-Gamergate activists.

On October 13, 2016, GNAA member Meepsheep vandalized Misplaced Pages to cause the entries for Bill and Hillary Clinton to be overlapped with pornographic images and a message endorsing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

In August 2017, GNAA was named as having been involved in a feud between employees of the popular dating app Bumble, and tenants of the apartment building in Austin, Texas where the company was, at the time, illegally headquartered. Joseph Bernstein of BuzzFeed News reported that one of the building's residents contacted GNAA to "fight back" against Bumble after multiple complaints regarding the company's activities were ignored. The dispute resulted in Bumble choosing to relocate from the building, which GNAA claimed credit for in a press release the group spammed across several websites via clickjacking.

Goatse Security

Main article: Goatse Security
Goatse Security's logo and name are taken from the infamous shock site goatse.cx.

Several members of the GNAA with expertise in grey hat computer security research began releasing information about several software vulnerabilities under the name "Goatse Security." The group chose to publish their work under a separate name because they thought that they would not be taken seriously.

In June 2010, Goatse Security attracted mainstream media attention for their discovery of at least 114,000 unsecured email addresses registered to Apple iPad devices for early adopters of Apple's 3G iPad service. The data was aggregated from AT&T's own servers by feeding a publicly available script with HTTP requests containing randomly generated ICC-IDs, which would then return the associated email address. The FBI soon investigated the incident. This investigation led to the arrest of then-GNAA President, Andrew 'weev' Auernheimer, on unrelated drug charges resulting from an FBI search of his home.

In January 2011, the Department of Justice announced that Auernheimer would be charged with one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization and one count of fraud. A co-defendant, Daniel Spitler, was released on bail. In June 2011, Spitler pleaded guilty on both counts after reaching a plea agreement with US attorneys. On November 20, 2012, Auernheimer was found guilty of one count of identity fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization. On April 11, 2014, these convictions were overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on the basis that the New Jersey venue was improper and Auernheimer was subsequently released from prison.

References

  1. "About". GNAA. Archived from the original on July 20, 2011. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  2. Emspak, Jesse (January 19, 2011). "The Case Against The iPad Hackers". International Business Times. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
  3. ^ Chokshi, Niraj (June 10, 2010). "Meet One of the Hackers Who Exposed the iPad Security Leak". The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  4. ^ Rohr, Altieres (June 11, 2010). "Saiba como ocorreu falha que expôs e-mails de 114 mil usuários do iPad" [Know how failure exposing 114 thousand iPad user email addresses happened]. Rede Globo (in Portuguese). Retrieved September 13, 2010.
  5. ^ Dean, Jodi (2010). Blog Theory: Feedback and Capture in the Circuits of Drive. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press. ISBN 978-0-7456-4970-2. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
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  7. ^ Bilton, Nick; Wortham, Jenna (January 19, 2011). "Two Are Charged With Fraud in iPad Security Breach". The New York Times. p. 4.
  8. ^ Lih, Andrew (March 17, 2009). The Misplaced Pages Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World's Greatest Encyclopedia. Cambridge, UK: Hyperion. pp. 170–71. ISBN 978-1-4001-1076-6.
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  13. ^ Gorman, Ginger (April 16, 2019). Troll Hunting: Inside the World of Online Hate and its Human Fallout. Hardie Grant. pp. 185–194. ISBN 978-1743794357.
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  15. Eordogh, Fruzsina. "Meet the Mysterious Hacking Collective Who Love Trolling Anonymous". www.vice.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
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  35. Grubb, Ben. "Twitter works up a storm over looting images". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
  36. Dillon, Kit. "Less Looting, More Trolling: Daily Mail, Drudge Get Pwnd By Twitter Pranksters #SandyLootCrew". Betabeat. Retrieved November 2, 2012.
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  38. "Internet Trolls Start Sick Trend To Encourage Justin Bieber Fans To Self-Harm". stereoboard.com. January 8, 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  39. "Justin Bieber fans draw shock, outrage with gruesome 'Cut4Bieber' trending topic". NY Daily News.
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  41. O'Connor, Brendan (October 13, 2016). "Internet Trolls Vandalize Hillary and Bill Clinton's Misplaced Pages Pages in Extremely NSFW Way". Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  42. ^ Bernstein, Joseph (August 1, 2017). "Bumble's Former Neighbors Say It Was Using A Luxury Apartment Building As Its Personal Playground". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
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  46. United States District Court — District Court of New Jersey, Docket: MAG 11-4022 (CCC). Filed with the court January 13, 2011
  47. Torrenzano, Richard; Davis, Mark W (2011). Digital Assassination: Protecting Your Reputation, Brand, Or Business. Macmillan. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-312-61791-2.
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  52. Smith, Catharine (June 23, 2011). "Daniel Spitler Pleads Guilty To iPad Hack, Email Address Theft". Huffington Post.
  53. Zetter, Kim (November 20, 2012). "Hacker Found Guilty of Breaching AT&T Site to Obtain iPad Customer Data". Wired.com.
  54. Voreacos, David (April 14, 2014). "AT&T Hacker 'Weev' Parties and Tweets as Case Still Looms". Bloomberg. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
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