HAKTYWIZM – SPOŁECZNA KORZYŚĆ CZY ZAGROŻENIE?

This article focuses on the theme of hacktivism, which is a marriage of the world of technology and the world of politics. Hacktivism is a combination of socio-political activism and hacking. The research problem of this article is the question, is hacktivism a social benefit or a threat? The main thesis is that hacktivism is not serious threat to the society and the state structures. The article provides an overview of the most important definitions of hacktivism and hacktivists’ techniques with the examples of the 21st century. It also attempts to assess this phenomenon in terms of the opportunities and threats posed to citizens and state institutions, and presents the projected direction of this development