Anonymous Hacker Claims Donald Trump’s Twitter Password Was “Maga2020!” In Netflix Doc ‘The Antisocial Network’

In the newly released Netflix documentary, “The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem,” hacker Aubrey Cottle, known online as “kirtaner,” reveals he successfully guessed former President Donald Trump’s Twitter password. Cottle explains that the password was initially “Maga2020!” and later changed to a slightly altered version, “Maga2024!,” for Trump’s account. As a prominent figure in the hacker community, Cottle’s involvement extends beyond this singular act.

He is described as a Canadian hacktivist and an early member of the online collective Anonymous, a group that originated from the chaotic and anonymous environment of the 4chan forum. Despite starting with the intention to maintain the forum’s unregulated nature, Anonymous evolved into a more politically active entity, engaging in various digital protests, including notable actions against the Church of Scientology and in support of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

However, their activities took a serious turn when they targeted governmental agencies in response to perceived injustices, leading to legal repercussions for several members. Cottle himself withdrew from the hacking scene for years following the arrest and subsequent sentencing of fellow hacker Jeremy Hammond. Yet, the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters in January 2021 motivated Cottle to return to hacking, this time to assist the FBI by retrieving deleted data from the social network Parler to identify participants in the riot.

Cottle’s later exploits include hacking Epik hosting, a company known for serving alt-right and neo-Nazi websites, and, notably, Trump’s Twitter account. These actions, however, have placed him under FBI investigation, echoing the legal challenges faced by his peer Hammond. Cottle’s story, as depicted in the documentary, showcases the complex intersection of hacktivism, political activism, and the consequences of engaging in cyber operations against high-profile targets.