Anonymous in Context: The Politics and Power behind the Mask Paper No. 3 SERIES:INTERNET GOVERNANCE <http://www.cigionline.org/series/internet-governance> BY: GABRIELLA COLEMAN PUBLISHED: SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 Since 2010, digital direct action, including leaks, hacking and mass protest, has become a regular feature of political life on the Internet. The source, strengths and weakness of this activity are considered in this paper through an in-depth analysis of Anonymous, the protest ensemble that has been adept at magnifying issues, boosting existing --- usually oppositional --- movements and converting amorphous discontent into a tangible form. This paper, the third in the Internet Governance Paper Series, examines the intersecting elements that contribute to Anonymous' contemporary geopolitical power: its ability to land media attention, its bold and recognizable aesthetics, its participatory openness, the misinformation that surrounds it and, in particular, its unpredictability. Download full paper: http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/no3_8.pdf