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The Current

Barrett Brown says imprisonment serves as chill on freedom of speech

Journalist Barrett Brown is an activist associated with the hacktivist group Anonymous. He was targeted by the US government for exposing how the US used private security firms to spy on activists. He was sentenced over 5 years ago and he joined us from the Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institute.
CBC Radio ·
Barret Brown, American journalist and cause celebre of the cyber-security set. (Nikki Loehr)

Barrett Brown was arrested in September of 2012, on charges of aggravated identity theft and trafficking in stolen data related to involvement with the so-called "hactivist" group Anonymous. 

Barrett Brown has never actually been accused of taking part in any kind of theft. Instead, he posted a web link... inside a internet chat room. The link led to a cache of hacked information, including credit card numbers. And that led to the charges, unfairly in the eyes of his supporters. After some protracted proceedings,

Barrett Brown actually pleaded guilty last month to some lesser charges — aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice, along with a charge related to threats he made against an FBI agent in a YouTube video he posted online. He was sentenced to 63 months in prison, just over 5 years which he is now serving in at the Fort Worth Federal Correctional Institute in Fort Worth, Texas and that is where we reached him.

This segment was produced by The Current's Josh Bloch. 
 

► Listen to our segment on the Barrett Brown case 

Security journalist fears Barrett Brown case will prompt crackdown - The Current, CBC Radio

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