Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Infocalypse is a nickname for people who use the Internet to help commit crimes or to push ideas that would curb online privacy. It’s a play on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. There isn’t a single fixed list of who the horsemen are, but common targets include terrorists, child abusers, drug traffickers, organized crime, pirates who steal software or media, and money launderers. The term was created by Timothy C. May in 1988, who used examples like child pornographers, terrorists, and drug dealers to criticize government efforts to limit encryption and online privacy. Digital rights writer Cory Doctorow often cites similar groups when talking about online security and privacy. The phrase is mainly used by people who oppose restrictions on Internet use.
The horsemen can be named together or one at a time. Examples in recent history show how the idea is used in policy debates:
- In 2015, the UK Conservative party talked about laws to disrupt terrorist plots, criminal networks, and organized child grooming, echoing May’s list.
- Also in 2015, the surveillance company Gamma Group argued their tools target terrorist threats, drug cartels, major organized crime, and paedophile rings, raising concerns about misuse.
- In 2022, the European Commission proposed “Chat Control” to scan private messages for child sexual abuse, a move that relies on protecting children but could weaken end-to-end encryption; debate continued into 2024.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 08:10 (CET).