Anonymous to Shut Down Facebook: And You Thought the Wikipedia Blackout was Bad

We've received threats before -- on November 5, 2011, Anonymous, a global network of hactivists, said it would shut down Facebook over privacy concerns.  Nothing came of it, though; the massive Web site remained untouched.  Now, the same group claims it's planning to take down Facebook on January 28, 2012 in reaction to the government shutdown of Megaupload, a file-sharing site.

In a video uploaded to YouTube yesterday, Anonymous made the following statement: "An online war has begun between Anonymous, the people and the government of the United States. While SOPA and PIPA may be postponed from Congress, this doesn’t guarantee that our Internet rights will be upheld."  The video then provides directions for downloading and running a program, Low Orbit Ion Cannon (LOIC), in order to help launch the attack.

Think it's just another empty threat?  You might want to think again!  According to Mashable, Anonymous has already begun taking action:  "Following the U.S. government shutdown of file-sharing site Megaupload Friday, Anonymous attacked the U.S. Department of Justice’s website, among others."

However, Anonymous' Twitter account asserts that the video is a hoax, and that the group has not planned an attack against Facebook.  Watch the video below and decide for yourself!