Anonymous Hackers Take Over Senator’s Twitter Account, Hack CBS & Universal Music

Republican Grassley, an anti-piracy proponent, is targeted; attacks on media companies continue in wake of protests over proposed file-sharing laws

Hacking collective Anonymous went on another spree Monday morning, assuming control of Senator Chuck Grassley's Twitter account and shutting down the websites of CBS and Universal Music.

Grassley (R-Iowa) had been a supporter of the Senate’s anti-piracy legislation, commonly known as PIPA, and the Anonymous hackers made it known that his position inspired the hack.

Grassley issued a statement late last week that he felt the legislation needed to be altered, but that did not seem to make a difference.

“Dear Iowans, vote against ACTA, SOPA, and PIPA, because this man, Chuck Grassley, wants YOUR internet censored and all of that BS,” the hacker wrote.

The hacker then self-identified as an “Anonymous follower,” and Grassley and the hacker went back and forth posting.

Also Read: Anonymous Hackers Shut Down DOJ, MPAA Websites

Grassley noted that he was hacked, but then Anonymous jumped back in posting items like “#WINNING” and wondering why Grassley had not changed his password yet.

At some point a second hacker took over and then claimed to have changed the password, essentially holding the account hostage (while voicing Grassley's mock support for Herman Cain as President.) 

Hacking has become a choice technique for those irate about Congress’ anti-piracy legislation (and the closure of online locker service Megaupload), as Anonymous shut down the sites of the Department of Justice, Motion Picture Association of America and others last week. 

Those attacks, combined with a day of online protest Jan. 18 in which several sites went dark, helped block the bills – for now.

Both PIPA and its House counterpart SOPA were shelved for the foreseeable future.

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