De-anonymizing Members of French Political Forums

De-anonymizing Members of French Political Forums

Hash cracking meets politics.

The current political climate in France is very tense, as resentment for President Hollande is growing. The Internet provides a platform for dissenters to express their criticisms of the government; however, because France does not guarantee the freedom of speech as the United States does, many people are losing their jobs, facing intimidation by political opponents, and are even being arrested and prosecuted for the comments they make on political forums. It is for these reasons that most users on these forums strive for anonimity, out of fear for the real-world consequences. However, by exploiting a weakness in the way avatars are presented on these forums, the identities of these dissenters may be learned quite easily.

Presented by