Hackers hit Thai sites to protest restrictive internet law

Hackers saying they are protesting the passage of a bill restricting internet freedom have been attacking Thai government computer servers, temporarily disabling public access and reportedly copying restricted documents.

A Facebook group called for people to deny access to government sites by repeatedly reloading them, a tactic that apparently forced the Defense Ministry website to be temporarily offline Monday. Other reported targets included the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the Prime Minister's Office and the Office of the National Security Council.

A hacker identifying himself as part of the informal activist network Anonymous posted screenshots Friday of what he said were documents taken from government websites in protest.

The new law would allow Thailand authorities to intercept private communication and to censor websites without a court order.