LulzSec wasn 't an isolated or unique phenomenon. People with passion convictions were cause by new technological tools to change out of a sense of powerlessness. Last year, I 've seen 38 Degrees with the strength of association online to change government policy, WikiLeaks force transparency on those who' d rather be executed by him, the amorphous mass, the anonymous comments on what topic they feel deserve their attention.

These tools are now themselves under attack. Lord Mandelson 's last gift to us, the Digital Economy Act is just one of a series of "three-strikes law" to cut off the world, households from the Internet threat. Buried in the coalition 's Prevent strategy is to say that "Internet filtering over the public good is essential' is. Also, it is not just a British problem; Nicolas Sarkozy online global governance at the eG8 demanded in his attempt to civilize the "Wild West" of the site.

I don 't think very many people recognize the government, this simple fact. They continue this web native movements, as if they can be dealt with in the same manner as criminal operations to deal with. They can arrest a few people here or there, but that 's not in order to achieve the desired effect. If anything, it 's only going to drive even more people to join in the fight.

We 've reached a critical point: either we sail headlong into escalating confrontation, or we try to change tack and reduce the voltage by a democratic way forward that preserves our right to free association. Of anonymous blogger in Iran, to the use of Twitter and Facebook in Tahrir Square, and even teenagers in bedrooms of Essex, there is a thread. A sense of persecution and dismayed that our freedoms are suppressed.

Of course, I can't see any government today smart enough to recognize this. It seems that they're going to continue down this path that they've chosen, and then act surprised when it fails to have much of an impact, other than to escalate the problems.

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