Anonymous Hackers Call Kony 2012 ‘Shady’ ‘Propaganda,’ Stand by Ugandans

The hacktivist collective known as Anonymous released a second video regarding controversial activist organization Invisible Children's current social media campaign Kony 2012. The new video, titled Kony 2012 attempts to clarify Anonymous's position regarding the campaign, which they refer to as propaganda, and explain that while the hackers and proud geeks who make up anonymous will continue to stand by the Kony 2012 message in order to take down the Ugandan war criminal, they suspect that Invisible Children may be a scam or worse.

Twitter account Anonymous Messenger announced the hacker collective's changing position and the new video on March 9, 2012, through a series of messages posted on Twitter.

STATEMENT: #Anonymous supports #KONY2012 but suspects the Invisible Children Organization, they wrote on Twitter.

This message was followed up with a more ominous warning: #Kony2012 May Be An Honest Campaign on the outside...but something dark is unfolding. #anonymous.

Another tweet linked to the new video, which was posted by an account called The Anonymous Message, the self-described unofficial messenger of Anonymous. The video summary states that it's purpose is to set the record straight regarding whether the online collective is allying with Invisible Children and Kony 2012, in the same way that they have allied with Wikileaks and Julian Assange.

We're not with the Invisible Children organization; we're only standing by their message to bring down Joseph Kony. However, the people must be vigilant. Something beyond our power is unfolding.

The video itself thanks the people of the world for pointing out that Kony 2012 may be propaganda.

Anonymous worries that that the Kony campaign is, in fact, a distraction. An entire year, twenty twelve, devoted to taking down only one person, is frankly, quite long. They continue to state that the event of 2011 showed us that many things can take place at the same time. Many leaders can fall at once. Justice can prevail simultaneously.

This video comes just two days after an earlier YouTube video claimed that Anonymous was throwing their support completely behind Invisible Children, and decreed that April 20, 2012 would be a worldwide day of action in support of the Kony 2012 movement. The video summary also states that the planned protest is not happening.

It has been cancelled, wrote Anonymous Messenger on Twitter. #Anonymous will not be involved with war #propoganda. #KONY2012.

Anonymous's explanation of why Kony 2012 may be a scam also differs somewhat from what other critics have argued. According to White House Press Secretary Jay Carney there are already around 100 US military personnel in searching for Kony in the in and around Uganda. However, conspiracy theorists are arguing that the number will increase as the US attempts to take control of Uganda's natural resources-the news recently broke that the region could become one of the top 50 oil producers in the world.

Conspiracies revolving around Invisible Children have largely popped up on Twitter, where users have suggested drawn a link between the recent discovery of oil and the rapid rise of the Kony 2012 video. Other Twitter users have even suggested that the campaign is a falsified propaganda video created by the US government to validate a military invasion in central Africa.

Anonymous Messenger posed a similar theory on Twitter, writing, I think #Kony2012 was a test from the government to see how fast information spreads. #Conspiracy #justsayin #youneverknow #anonymous.