I'd argue that Anonymous by nature cannot gain de facto legitimacy because it is not one persistent entity. Anonymous is a mask that anyone can present themselv

I'd argue that Anonymous by nature cannot gain de facto legitimacy because it is not one persistent entity. Anonymous is a mask that anyone can present themselves behind. The very targets that Anonymous is attacking could claim to be Anonymous, too. I understand that the idea behind Anonymous is exactly to shed the idea of labels and reputation and to treat individual actions on their own merit. On the other hand, you made a great point about mixing fake data with real data, whether intentional or not. A random innocent "civilian" mixed within an expose of criminals could cause disastrous collateral damage.