Although they were supposed to be temporary and deleted after verification, hackers stole more than 1.5 TB of Discord verification images (selfies), amounting to a total of more than two million user photos.
According to Insider Gaming2,185,151 age verification images, selfies, and other personal user information were stolen by hackers during a September incursion into the Discord network. Discord Previews said that the hackers' motive was to “extort” the company and that the stolen data is being actively used for this purpose.
The hack itself was first discovered on October 3, when Discord did not specify the exact number of images and the size of the stolen databut only said it was a “small number” of government IDs. Based on what the company posted that day, it appeared that the hack was not that serious and that it acted in a timely manner to kick the hackers off its network, specifically by revoking support access to Discord tickets. The hack appears to have targeted those interacting with Discord support in particular, which may explain the age verification images.
However, as Insider Gaming notes, these images, used by Discord to verify a user's age in certain jurisdictions where it is required by law (the UK being the latest example), are meant to be temporary, meaning they will be removed once the age verification process is complete.
But as we see above, millions of these images were reportedly left on Discord's systems, allowing hackers to steal them during the attack.
The company has not specified how or why these images were stored on its systems, despite its own claims that they were temporary. It also raises privacy concerns, since laws requiring social media companies to verify a user's age are meant to protect them, not leave them vulnerable and anonymous.
Online anonymity is a critical component of technology, and hacks like these prove how vulnerable users can become when it's taken away, despite promises to the contrary. While credit card details, passwords and messages are not affected, hackers now have the ability to fully expose people's names and information if they see fit, exposing them to the wider Internet and likely removing their anonymity forever.
It's a slippery slope, these kinds of measures. It remains to be seen how this will ultimately impact Discord users and the platform as a whole, and I fear this won't be the last time we see images, photos, and leaks like this.
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