# Who set the Cicada 3301 puzzles, and why? · Cicada 3301 > Five answers have been proposed. A private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for… leads… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:57:05+00:00 --- **0** # Who set the Cicada 3301 puzzles, and why? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·5 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: a private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Five answers have been proposed. A private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for… leads, with evidence 3 for: partly supported by its tests. Four are still possible. Of the two narrower questions under it, none is answered yet. ## Why it matters It is the question that made the puzzles famous and the one no finisher has answered in public. The readings differ in what they predict about resources, branding, recruitment and what happened to finishers⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TEA53N5/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night). ## Answers 5 [**A private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/answers/ANS0D7R70206BSD/a-private-international-group-of-privacy-and-anti-censorship) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 3 for Most likely [**A membership test for an esoteric secret society.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/answers/ANS0D7R728A63XB/a-membership-test-for-an-esoteric-secret-society) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Still possible [**A recruitment exercise by an intelligence or security agency.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/answers/ANS0D7R7118595J/a-recruitment-exercise-by-an-intelligence-or-security-agency) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 2 against Disputed [**An alternate-reality game or marketing campaign for a company or product.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/answers/ANS0D7R71RP4Z2D/an-alternate-reality-game-or-marketing-campaign-for-a) Failed a test; not refuted outright Evidence: 1 against Disputed [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/answers/ANS0D7R72ZR6PWB/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible ## History 1. 2014[Hern puts forward: a private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TEA53N5/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and) 1. 2014[Vincent puts forward: a recruitment exercise by an intelligence or security agency.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TP47EGH/masonic-conspiracy-or-mi6-recruitment-tool-internet-mystery) 1. 2014[Martin puts forward: an alternate-reality game or marketing campaign for a company or product.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night) 1. 2014[Martin puts forward: a membership test for an esoteric secret society.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night) 1. 2014[Hern: a leaked 2012 email describes an international group with no name, opposed to censorship and committed to…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TEA53N5/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and)For: A private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for… 1. 2014[Martin: the puzzles emphasise anonymity tools, file formats and networking rather than advanced cryptography.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night)For: A private international group of privacy and anti-censorship technologists, recruiting like-minded people for… 1. 2014[Hern: agencies have recruited through puzzles, but GCHQ's were openly branded; a service would hardly recruit on…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TEA53N5/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and)Against: A recruitment exercise by an intelligence or security agency. 1. 2014[Martin: the puzzles test internet skills and general knowledge more than cryptography.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night)Against: A recruitment exercise by an intelligence or security agency. 1. 2014[Hern: cicada ran for three years without revealing a product, unlike ILoveBees, which ended after three months with…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TEA53N5/cicada-3301-i-tried-the-hardest-puzzle-on-the-internet-and)Against: An alternate-reality game or marketing campaign for a company or product. 1. 2014[Martin: martin calls it the most unlikely explanation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6TXY49WN/cicada-3301-the-mystery-keeping-cryptologists-awake-at-night)Against: A membership test for an esoteric secret society. 1. 2021[Andjelkovic: the texts use spiritual language of enlightenment and pilgrimage, which a religious-studies reading treats as…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D7R6V5R2KP1/the-mystery-of-cicada-3301-constructing-gnosis-in-cyberspace)For: A membership test for an esoteric secret society. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6Z2R63QN/who-set-the-cicada-3301-puzzles-and-why%23add-source) Where it fits Cicada 3301 **Who set the Cicada 3301 puzzles, and why?** Key question · you're here [Were the signed texts written by one person or several?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6ZT63GW1/were-the-signed-texts-written-by-one-person-or-several)Open · 3 answers, inconclusive [Which messages and puzzles are genuinely Cicada's?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/cicada-3301/questions/QST0D7R6ZJC3WGR/which-messages-and-puzzles-are-genuinely-cicadas)Most likely · only material signed with key 7A35090F (fingerprint ending 181F 01E5 7A35 090F) is Cicada's [ Ask a question under this one ]