Hours after the news of Aaron Swartz’s death broke out online, it sparked a volley of protests with many members of the community coming out in his support. In year 2011, he was indicted of charges of computer fraud for allegedly downloading nearly 5 million academic papers and files from the online service JSTOR, using MIT’s on-campus network. It was conveyed to the famed internet hacktivist by the University that if convicted, he would have to pay an amount of $4 million as fines and face more than 50 years of imprisonment.
Following his death, Massachusetts Institute of Technology promised a thorough investigation of its involvement into the suicide case. It came under a widespread criticism so much that even the online hacktivist group ‘Anonymous’ planned to deface the school’s Web site.
The group also posted a wish list of reforms on the page labeled ‘Our Wishes’ which have been highlighted below.
We call for this tragedy to be a basis for reform of computer crime laws, and the overzealous prosecutors who use them. We call for this tragedy to be a basis for reform of copyright and intellectual property law, returning it to the proper principles of common good to the many, rather than private gain to the few. We call for this tragedy to be a basis for greater recognition of the oppression and injustices heaped daily by certain persons and institutions of authority upon anyone who dares to stand up and be counted for their beliefs, and for greater solidarity and mutual aid in response. We call for this tragedy to be a basis for a renewed and unwavering commitment to a free and unfettered internet, spared from censorship with equality of access and franchise for all.
They also left a personal tribute on the page.
