I, sitting at my desk, certainly had the authorities to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant, to a federal judge, to even the President [of the United States] if I had a personal email.

... Is what NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said to the Guardian last week. A young (presumably now ex-)CIA operative, he opened the doors on the American government’s colossal and secret online surveillance of its citizens. The largest digital tracking of a state in history, opened to the public by a conscientious man in his late twenties. Hacking. Just. Got. Real. 

In the June issue of Dazed & Confused, virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier implored today’s digital activists to think about the future of the free web and fight for a better world creatively, and cleverly. Throughout the section, hacktivists and tech visionaries such as Bruce Sterling, Isaac Wilder and Anonymous advised readers on how they can change the future by embracing radical new technology, from crypto-currencies and coding camps to setting up their own mesh networks. 

Over the course of five days, DazedDigital.com will evolve the debate with five guest editors recruited to take over the website. From activism to art, language to fashion, every day, each "hacker" will tell you how to evolve the arts by hacking the industry’s source codes, kicking off with a manifesto and a series of articles commissioned in collaboration with Dazed Digital. 

GUEST EDITORS

Monday: Literature

James Bridle
– "How to hack the word”

Tuesday: Art

Rhizome
– “Use art hacks to fight back”

Wednesday: Music

Holly Herndon
– “Music needs a good hack”

Thursday: Fashion

Patrik Sandberg
– “Hacking the Google Glasses”

Friday: Activism

Anonymous
– “We are legion – how to be an Anon”  

Keep an eye on DazedDigital.com/hack-your-future for all content, follow our networks and connect on Twitter with the #HackYourFuture hashtag. We'll be hosting an IRL symposium in London with Dazed Digital editor Charlie Robin Jones and Tech City's Benjamin Southworth will host a symposium on the issues raised, under the headline “Subverting the New Net”.