Click to enlarge

As virtual world of Second Life grows in size, drawing brands into it, so has it spawned virtual terrorists - or freedom fighters, depending on one's view. Security researcher and e-commerce consultant Wayne Porter of ReveNews held an exclusive interview with a member of the Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA).

The SLLA, consisting of about a dozen veteran members, is believed to be the first national liberation movement of its kind seeking political rights for virtual characters, known as avatars. The group really pulled into action when Linden Lab, the creator of Second Life, allowed the creation of unverified accounts.

To date the SLLA has conducted one protest against a virtual representation of the clothing store American Apparel. The group termed this a "military operation." According to Second Life residents, this took the form of shooting potential customers at the Second Life American Apparel store, causing the customers to be knocked out of the area, thus preventing purchases. The group also targeted Reebok.

According to the movement's blog, SLLA is now offering a bounty to attack certain areas and players, and its first goal is to give all avatars the right to vote in the virtual world about Second Life-related issues. The group is also considering a virtual kidnap operation. They say they were not responsible for the "grey goo" incident last month.