Entities claiming affiliation with Anonymous, identified as EUTNAIOA, have carried out a cyber protest against the Japanese government in response to the release of wastewater from the Fukushima Daini Nuclear Power Plant.
This operation, named “Tango Down,” targeted 21 websites linked to the Fukushima facility, including government agencies and organizations. The attacks coincide with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s decision to permit the release of a million tons of treated Fukushima wastewater, a move that has ignited debate over the potential environmental and health impacts of discharging radioactive elements into the ocean.
Furthermore, the released water originates from the Fukushima plant’s daily production of approximately 100 cubic meters of wastewater, which is essential for cooling the reactor. This process exposes the water to 64 radioactive elements with varying half-lives, including carbon-14. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), responsible for managing the nuclear power plant, employs an advanced liquid-processing system (ALPS) to treat the water, claiming to eliminate 62 of the 64 radionuclides while retaining carbon-14 and tritium.
Although TEPCO asserts the treated water’s safety, EUTNAIOA draws attention to the concerns of nuclear engineer Hiroaki Koide, who argues that dilution could lead to pollution on a larger scale, endangering marine life and those consuming it. Hacktivists criticize the Japanese government and TEPCO for insufficiently involving local communities and international public discourse in their decision-making process.
While the government cites advice from international scientists, hacktivists point out dissenting voices within academia and accuse the government of deploying AI-driven social media campaigns to propagate their narrative about the wastewater’s safety. Additionally, the group alleges bribery attempts involving the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to downplay the levels of radioactive substances in samples, a claim denied by both the IAEA and the Japanese government.
