The Ground War Over Catalonia Is Being Fought in Cyberspace
- Spain shuts websites, raids tech companies to stop vote
- Deutsche Telekom T-Systems executive detained in September
Catalonia Vote Turns Violent as Spain Holds Firm
Cyberspace has become an active front in the Catalan rebellion for independence as the Spanish government pulls down websites, police detain hackers and software developers and haul them into court to testify, and even Wikileaks founder Julian Assange wades into the fray.
Among the highest-profile raids and arrests that have occurred since early September was the Sept. 20 police search of Fundacio puntCAT, the institution that manages the ".cat" internet domain, and arrested Pep Masoliver, an official at the foundation. The foundation is “devoted to ensuring that Catalan –- a persecuted and maltreated language -- has its space in the digital world,” according to a statement of protest posted on the foundation’s website.