PayPal Problems? Anonymous appears to be attacking the API.

As we reported yesterday, PayPal had previously been blocking funds from the Wikileaks accounts. Eventually, caving to public pressure, PayPal released the funds and it seemed as if all was well. However, this being the Internet, things change at a rapid pace and it appears tha the focus is back on PayPal.

According to a number of Twitter accounts that appear to be maintained by the Anonymous network, the sights have been set on PayPal’s API and a DDoS attack is being aimed at the port through which API transactions are directed:

Judging by the reaction on Twitter, businesses are already feeling the impact of the attack as they are unable to sell their products via PayPal’s payment systems. We’ve reached out to PayPal for comment, but as of yet have not had a response. Various rumors around the Twittersphere seem to believe that PayPal could be losing huge amounts of money on transaction fees every minute that the API is unreachable.

It’s worth noting that Anonymous seems to be more focused, with this attack, than it has in past efforts. Toward that point, the group has released a video which explains its actions and possible future targets as well. Quoting Orwell, Gandhi and Benjamin Franklin, the group focuses its speech on the ideas surrounding freedom on the Internet. The video, which we’ve embedded below, gives a somewhat creepy look inside the hive mind of Anonymous: