Anonymous is targeting Elon Musk. For the first time in six months, the collective is posting a video on YouTube – and targeting the richest man in the world.
Elon Musk, a hypocrite? At least this is the accusation that the hacker collective Anonymous has made in a viral way Youtube videodirected against the Tesla CEO. The video, which was clicked almost two million times at the time of writing, accuses the billionaire of supposed hypocrisy regarding his Bitcoin criticism. The protagonist of the approximately 4-minute video says in the usual Anonymous manner:
Over the past few years you have enjoyed what is arguably the most benevolent reputation in the billionaire class. But your image has changed. People are starting to see that you, too, are another narcissistic rich dude with a need for attention.
Anonymous
The collective’s drastic choice of words apparently stems from frustration with Musk’s behavior with regard to Bitcoin. The “Anon”, whose voice is distorted, accuses Musk of being one-sided with his criticism of Bitcoin’s energy consumption.
The energy use argument in proof-of-work mining is a very nuanced discussion that requires a fairly complex understanding of how power grids work.
Anonymous
Bitcoin-Stop gives Anonymous a bad feeling
Tesla suspended accepting BTC on May 13 of this year. As we have already reported at this point, Musk justified the step with the supposed environmental damage from proof-of-work mining. From the point of view of many critics, including Anonymous, this is an unbelievable pretext. After all, the actual CO2-Bitcoin’s balance sheet, firstly, unclear, and secondly, discussions must be embedded in a nuanced web of balanced arguments about the usefulness of cryptocurrency. Such a balancing act never took place with the richest man in the world.
Rather, in the latest video, the hacker collective reproduces a theory that has been making the rounds in Bitcoin Space for some time. Musk railed against BTC mainly because the majority of Tesla’s revenue comes from the sale of CO2-Certificates as well as so-called “Government Subsidies”, so government money originates. These were paid out in particular because Tesla, as a manufacturer of electric cars, is counteracting climate change.
Tesla: Most of the sales come from certificate trading
From Tesla’s point of view, supporting proof-of-work cryptocurrencies is a contradiction. In fact, a large part of Tesla’s profit comes not from the sale of electric cars, but from trading in CO2-Certificates. In the first quarter of 2021, the California automaker took $ 518 million from CO sales2-Certificates. In addition, $ 100 million came from trading Bitcoin, according to the annual report for Q1 2021. Meanwhile, the sale of cars is still a loss for Tesla.
Anonymous:
In fact, people now understand that Tesla’s income comes not from car sales, but from government funds.
Anonymous
The money raised from this could also be used to fund the billions in BTC purchases. A move that Musk now seems to be falling on his feet. But instead of explaining his decision, the Tesla CEO has been firing against Bitcoin’s proof-of-work algorithm for some time. Much to the displeasure of the crypto community and recently also Anonymous.
Millions of retail investors counted on their crypto profits to make their lives better. With your tantrums, you stole dreams from hard-working people. Still you keep posting memes from your million mansions
Anonymous
says the Anon in the video.
Measures unclear
However, it is unclear whether Anonymous can do anything against Musk. After all, the collective had already reached its zenith in 2008, when it was able to paralyze Scientology websites using DDoS attacks. The venture known as Project Chanology had the stated goal of “banning Scientology from the Internet.” That didn’t work, but since then everyone has been talking about the hacktivists with the plastic masks.
Past projects such as attacks on the cyber infrastructure of Nigeria or the Minneapolis Police Department remained largely without consequences.