Anonymous Escalates Project Chanology Against the Church of Scientology
Anonymous launched Project Chanology against the Church of Scientology after the church sought removal of a leaked Tom Cruise promotional video from YouTube, triggering accusations that Scientology was using copyright and legal pressure to suppress online speech. The campaign initially featured disruptive cyber activity including DDoS attacks, website defacements, prank calls, black-faxing, and other harassment aimed at Scientology websites and offices, while Anonymous circulated videos vowing to “systematically dismantle” the organization and used sites and social platforms to coordinate actions. Scientology responded by branding the group cyber-terrorists, linking it to threats and white-powder mailings, and reportedly sought help from law enforcement as some critics of Scientology also condemned the attacks as hypocritical and counterproductive.
The operation then broadened from online attacks into a decentralized international protest movement, with masked demonstrators rallying outside Scientology centers in nearly 100 cities across North America, Europe, and Australia. Anonymous publicly promoted a code of conduct emphasizing peaceful demonstrations and legal activism, while protests highlighted allegations of censorship, financial exploitation, “Fair Game,” and retaliation against critics; major actions in February and March drew thousands, with additional rounds continuing later in the year. The campaign became an early example of an internet-born collective translating online mobilization into sustained real-world activism, even as legal scrutiny continued and later court cases produced guilty pleas tied to Scientology-related DDoS attacks.
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How this story unfolded
13 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Second U.S. defendant admits Scientology DDoS attack
A second man in the United States pleaded guilty in connection with distributed denial-of-service attacks on Scientology. The plea reflected later legal consequences stemming from the early 2008 online campaign.
Anonymous announces renewed 'phase three' of Chanology
Anonymous declared a new phase of Project Chanology and called for former participants to return, promising fresh tactics beginning on August 8. The announcement framed the campaign as a continuation of the earlier protests and online actions against Scientology.
Anonymous stages May protest focused on 'Fair Game' and disconnection
In May, local protests such as Portland's 'Battletoad Earth: Operation Fairgame Stop' continued the broader anti-Scientology campaign. Demonstrators highlighted alleged Scientology practices including 'Fair Game' and disconnection, showing the movement's persistence beyond the initial February actions.
Atlanta arrests reported during March Scientology protests
Two protesters were arrested in Atlanta during the March 15 demonstrations. Later reporting said the ACLU and Amnesty International were looking into the incident.
Second global protest wave held on March 15
Anonymous organized another coordinated international day of protests against Scientology on March 15, continuing the campaign after the February demonstrations. Coverage described the movement as having evolved into a sustained grassroots protest effort.
Anonymous publicly renounces hacking in favor of peaceful protest
After criticism of its earlier tactics, participants and spokespeople said the campaign would move away from sabotage and illegal online activity toward lawful demonstrations and other peaceful action. This marked a strategic shift in how the movement presented itself publicly.
First global Anonymous protests target Scientology centers
On February 10, Anonymous-led demonstrations took place in nearly 100 cities across multiple continents, drawing thousands of participants outside Scientology facilities. Protesters focused on alleged censorship, financial exploitation, and retaliation against critics, while Scientology labeled the group cyber-terrorists.
White-powder mailings to Scientology churches prompt FBI investigation
Separate from the web attacks, white-powder hoax letters were sent to Scientology locations in the Los Angeles area, leading to an FBI investigation. Contemporary coverage did not establish Anonymous' responsibility for the mailings.
Anonymous organizes global in-person protests for February 10
By early February, Anonymous shifted from purely online disruption to planning coordinated street demonstrations outside Scientology centers worldwide. Organizers circulated protest videos and a code of conduct urging peaceful behavior and concealment of identities.
Church of Scientology seeks law-enforcement help over attacks
As the online campaign escalated, Scientology reportedly contacted federal and local law enforcement, including the FBI and LAPD, seeking help against cyberattacks and harassment attributed to Anonymous. Authorities had not publicly confirmed the matter at the time.
Anonymous begins online attacks on Scientology sites and offices
Following its declaration, Anonymous claimed responsibility for denial-of-service attacks against Scientology websites and promoted harassment tactics including prank calls, black faxes, and Google bombing. Reports said Scientology-related sites experienced intermittent outages during late January.
Anonymous launches Project Chanology against Scientology
Anonymous publicly declared a campaign against the Church of Scientology, releasing videos that framed the effort as retaliation for censorship and promising to disrupt the organization online. Organizing hubs such as Project Chanology began coordinating actions and messaging.
Scientology seeks removal of leaked Tom Cruise video from YouTube
The Church of Scientology moved to take down a leaked Tom Cruise promotional video from YouTube on copyright grounds. Multiple reports describe this as the trigger that sparked backlash from Anonymous and the launch of Project Chanology.
Sources
16 references tracked. Mallory keeps watching after this page renders.
Hackers declare war on Scientologists amid claims of heavy-handed Cruise control | Technology | The Guardian
theguardian.com
Open sourceSecond US man admits DDoS attack on Scientology
theregister.com
Open sourceAnonymous relaunches fight against Scientology
theregister.co.uk
Open sourceWillamette Week | Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
web.archive.org
Open sourceCritics split over DDoS attacks on Scientology
theregister.co.uk
Open sourceAnonymous hackers take on the Church of Scientology | Defense in Depth - CNET News
web.archive.org
Open sourceFresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Scientology Elders Reach Out to the FBI to Help Prevent Internet Attacks
web.archive.org
Open sourceScientology in the Crosshairs | The Emory Wheel
web.archive.org
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Anonymous Expanded Operation Payback From Anti-Piracy Targets to WikiLeaks Backers
Anonymous used **distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)** attacks under the banner of **Operation Payback** to hit anti-piracy groups and related legal entities including the **RIAA, MPAA, BPI, AFACT, BREIN, Websheriff**, and the law firm **Dunlap, Grubb and Weaver**. The campaign escalated after the shutdown of LimeWire, with Anonymous publicly planning another attack on the RIAA and portraying the action as retaliation against copyright enforcement. Earlier attacks also coincided with the takedown of **ACS:Law**, where hundreds of megabytes of internal emails were exposed after the firm was knocked offline. The operation later widened into a pro-WikiLeaks campaign branded **Operation Avenge Assange** after **PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, and Amazon** cut services to WikiLeaks following the publication of US diplomatic cables. Anonymous launched prolonged attacks that disrupted PayPal and targeted other firms seen as censoring WikiLeaks, while police in the UK opened investigations, monitored threats against government sites, and examined the use of the **Low Orbit Ion Cannon** by participants. The campaign showed how Anonymous evolved from anti-piracy retaliation into politically motivated online disruption aimed at organizations viewed as restricting access, speech, or digital distribution.
May 25, 2026
Anonymous Expanded From Arab Spring Operations to Anti-ISIS Cyber Campaigns
Anonymous shifted from prank-driven activity into overtly political hacktivism by targeting state and extremist online infrastructure during major geopolitical crises. During the Arab Spring, participants launched operations against Tunisian and Egyptian government websites, using **DDoS attacks**, defacements, and censorship-circumvention support as protests spread. Reporting tied **OpTunisia** to efforts to bypass surveillance and keep information flowing after the uprising sparked by Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation, while **OpEgypt** targeted Egyptian government sites and reacted after Hosni Mubarak’s regime shut down internet access during the Tahrir Square demonstrations. The collective later turned its attention to the Islamic State through **#OpISIS**, a decentralized campaign aimed at disrupting propaganda, recruitment, and communications online. Anonymous-linked volunteers and affiliated groups including **GhostSec** and the **@CtrlSec** network used mass reporting, bot-assisted account tracking, website takedowns, **DDoS**, **SQL injection**, and intelligence gathering to target ISIS-linked Twitter accounts, videos, forums, and websites. Accounts of the campaign said activists flagged roughly **101,000** Twitter accounts, identified **5,900** propaganda videos, dismantled about **149** websites, and in some cases passed intelligence to authorities, even as the effort exposed internal debate over free speech and the limits of hacktivist counterterrorism.
May 25, 2026
Anonymous Used LOIC DDoS Campaign to Hit RIAA and Payment Sites
Anonymous organized **distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)** attacks under its **Operation Payback** banner, using the **Low-Orbit Ion Cannon (`LOIC`)** tool and publicly coordinating participants through channels including **4chan's `/b/` board** and the operation's website. In one of the campaign's prominent actions, the group targeted the **Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)**, saying it was protesting what it viewed as abusive copyright enforcement by industry lobbyists and law firms; the RIAA site was reportedly forced offline within minutes, although some related pages remained reachable. The same campaign later expanded to organizations linked to pressure on **WikiLeaks**, with Anonymous supporters redirecting attacks toward **PayPal** and briefly knocking **Moneybookers** offline after deciding against a planned action on **Amazon**. Participants said the Amazon attack was dropped because they lacked sufficient numbers and did not want to disrupt holiday shoppers, while the group also acknowledged internal disagreements and attempted to distance itself from a figure known as **Coldblood** without signaling any broader collapse of the operation.
May 25, 2026