Cartoon of the Week: Hackers targeted high-profile artists on YouTube

Plenty of YouTube videos were targeted by hackers this week, including the most-viewed upload of all time, Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito“, which had amassed more than 5 billion views.

The video was temporarily deleted and the hackers replaced the thumbnail with an image of the famous gang from Netflix’s “La Casa de Papel” wearing masks, red hoodies and holding guns.

Hackers didn’t stop there but targeted a dozen other high-profile artists like Shakira, Chris Brown, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift.

“After seeing unusual upload activity on a handful of Vevo channels, we worked quickly with our partner to disable access while they investigate the issue,” a spokeswoman for YouTube told the BBC.

Some people on Twitter were happy because they thought that “Despacito” would be removed forever. But despite the fuss around its deletion, the clip was available for viewing again shortly afterwards.

One of the hackers claimed on Twitter that their move was not a malicious one, stating: “Its just for fun. I just use script ‘youtube-change-title-video’ and I write ‘hacked‘ don’t judge me I love youtube.”

Apparently the hackers were so influenced by the TV series that they too wanted people to love them by playing it nice.

Vevo, the US-based video hosting service and web store, said “We are working to reinstate all videos affected and our catalogue to be restored to full working order. We are continuing to investigate the source of the breach.”

It’s still not clear, though, what script was used and whether the hackers gained access to individual artist accounts or if they directly had access to Vevo itself.

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Brahim Jaouane

I am a Digital Marketing specialist specialized in SEO at eXo Platform. Passionate about new technologies and Digital Marketing. With 10 years' experience, I support companies in their digital communication strategies and implement the tools necessary for their success. My approach combines the use of different traffic acquisition levers and an optimization of the user experience to convert visitors into customers. After various digital experiences in communication agencies as well as in B2B company, I have a wide range of skills and I am able to manage the digital marketing strategy of small and medium-sized companies.