Christopher Weatherhead
{{Short description|British cyber criminal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Christopher Weatherhead
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| nationality = British
| other_names = Nerdo
| known_for = Privacy International, Operation Payback
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Christopher Weatherhead, also known by his alias Nerdo, is an activist, hacker and technologist. Weatherhead was jailed for his involvement in several cyberattacks by hacker collective Anonymous.{{cite news|title=Anonymous hackers jailed for cyber attacks|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jan/24/anonymous-hackers-jailed-cyber-attacks|accessdate=23 April 2013|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 January 2013}}
Anonymous
Weatherhead has been an active leader for Anonymous, a loose-knit group of "hacktivists". It was reported that Weatherhead had seniority within the group.
Operation Payback
Weatherhead played a significant role in Operation Payback, a series of cyberattacks conducted by Anonymous against various organizations because the hackers "did not agree with their views."{{cite news|last=Cockerton|first=Paul|title=Anonymous hackers jailed for cyber attacks on financial firms and anti-piracy websites|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/anonymous-hackers-christopher-weatherhead-aka-1554188|accessdate=24 April 2013|newspaper=Mirror UK|date=24 January 2013}}{{cite news|title=Anonymous 'Hacktivist' Christopher Weatherhead guilty of cyber attacks|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/anonymous-hacktivist-christopher-weatherhead-guilty-of-cyber-attacks-8389790.html|newspaper=Standard|date=6 December 2012}} In particular, Weatherhead was known for his work on Operation Avenge Assange, which was part of Operation Payback as a whole. Operation Avenge Assange focused on disrupting PayPal and other payment sites that despite transferring funds indiscriminately for other organisations, including neonazi organisations, would not process transfers to the Wau Holland Foundation, which raises funds for WikiLeaks, after attention shifted from companies involved in digital rights.{{cite news|last=Shaw|first=Adrian|title='Nerdo' hacker guilty: Student helped Anonymous bring down Paypal for 10 days|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/anonymous-hacker-nerdo-guilty-student-1476907|accessdate=24 April 2013|newspaper=Mirror UK|date=6 December 2012}}{{cite news|title=Updates on Leak of U.S. Cables, Day 9|url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/latest-updates-on-leak-of-u-s-cables-day-9/#operation-payback-plans-attacks-on-paypal|accessdate=30 April 2013|newspaper=The New York Times|date=6 December 2010}} Weatherhead reportedly was instrumental in bringing down PayPal for 10 days, resulting in a reported £3.5million in losses for the company.
In January 2013, Weatherhead was sentenced to 18 months in prison for his part in the denial-of-service attacks on PayPal, Visa and MasterCard in December 2010.
Privacy International
After Weatherhead completed his sentence he went on to work for Human Rights charity Privacy International.{{cite web |title=Christopher Weatherhead |url=https://privacyinternational.org/people/97/christopher-weatherhead |website=Privacy International |access-date=3 April 2024}} Weatherhead is notable for his advocacy relating to targeted advertising{{cite web |title=How Facebook tracks you on Android |url=https://media.ccc.de/v/35c3-9941-how_facebook_tracks_you_on_android |website=media.ccc.de |date=30 December 2018 |publisher=Chaos Computer Club |access-date=3 April 2024}}{{cite web |title=No Body's Business But Mine, a dive into Menstruation Apps |url=https://media.ccc.de/v/36c3-10693-no_body_s_business_but_mine_a_dive_into_menstruation_apps |website=media.ccc.de |date=29 December 2019 |publisher=Chaos Computer Club |access-date=3 April 2024}} and data protection{{cite web |last1=Hampton |first1=Maya |title=The Privacy Paradox: Is the End of Privacy Inevitable? |url=https://himaya.medium.com/the-privacy-paradox-is-the-end-of-privacy-inevitable-2516a7fa0a98 |website=himaya.medium.com |publisher=Medium |access-date=3 April 2024 |language=en |date=24 August 2017}}
Weatherhead v. The United Kingdom
Following on from Human Rights Watch (and Others) v The United Kingdom{{cite web |title=HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH v. THE UNITED KINGDOM and 4 other applications |url=https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/#{%22tabview%22:[%22document%22],%22itemid%22:[%22001-211987%22]} |website=hudoc.echr.coe.int |publisher=European Court of Human Rights |access-date=3 April 2024}} at the European Court of Human Rights, Weatherhead who was a party to that case was awarded compensation and an apology from the British Government for being unlawfully spyed on, in violation of his Article 8 rights{{cite web |title=WEATHERHEAD v. THE UNITED KINGDOM |url=https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/#{%22tabview%22:[%22document%22],%22itemid%22:[%22001-217977%22]} |website=hudoc.echr.coe.int |publisher=European Court of Human Rights}}
References
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Category:Cybercrime in the United Kingdom
Category:Anonymous (hacker group) activists
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Alumni of the University of Northampton
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