AT&T 'hacker' Andrew 'Weev' Auernheimer goes to jail: An explainer

A master troll will serve 41 months in prison for what many argue is not even a cybercrime

Hacker Andrew "Weev" Auernheimer is seen in this police booking photograph taken on June 15, 2010.
(Image credit: REUTERS/Fayetteville Police/Handout)

The internet is going nuts over the 41-month sentence handed down to Andrew 'Weev' Auernheimer, the so-called AT&T hacker who collected and publicly released over 100,000 user email addresses back in 2010. A notorious troll and would-be geek hero, Weev is now due for some serious jail time for what some critics are saying is yet another case of federal overreach against hackers. Here's what you need to know:

Who is this guy?

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.