Anonymous 'hacktivist' goes public on cyber protests

Peter Fein is a self-described "hacktivist" and member of the international hacker group Anonymous.

This loose collection of hackers has gained notoriety by aiming DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks on government and corporate websites since 2010. The targets have ranged from the US Department of Justice to Sony and Visa.

As befits the name Anonymous, most members have chosen to keep their identities secret - especially after dozens of alleged hackers were arrested in a series of government crackdowns in the US and Europe.

Mr Fein, however, has decided to go public about his involvement. He insists he is not involved in anything illegal, claiming that he simply helps bring together activists who want to battle government surveillance and attempts to police the internet.

The activist from Chicago is also involved with another hacker group called Telecomix - an international network of people providing internet access to pro-democracy protesters in countries such as Egypt, Libya and Syria.

Mr Fein says he is not a spokesman for either group and that Telecomix's achievements are the result of countless hours of work from hundreds of members.

In an exclusive interview with the BBC's Matt Danzico he explains what he believes Anonymous is trying to achieve - and why he decided to go public.