"Operation Payback" was a campaign initiated by the hacktivist group Anonymous in late 2010. It aimed to retaliate against organizations that opposed or took action against the website WikiLeaks, which had been releasing classified documents. The operation involved various cyberattacks, including Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, targeting companies like PayPal, MasterCard, and Visa. The campaign garnered significant media attention and highlighted the growing influence of hacktivism in the digital age. Supporters of Anonymous viewed the operation as a fight for freedom of information, while critics raised concerns about the legality and ethics of such cyber actions.