India’s Supreme Court YouTube channel was hacked on Friday, causing regular court livestreams to be replaced with videos promoting XRP, a cryptocurrency by Ripple Labs.
Details of the Hack
As a result of the hack, the YouTube channel of India's Supreme Court, instead of showing constitutional bench proceedings, displayed videos promoting Ripple's cryptocurrency XRP. One such video was titled 'Brad Garlinghouse Ripple Responds to SEC’s $2 Billion Fine,' but it only featured a blank screen. This incident follows a recent FBI report that Americans lost approximately $5.6 billion to cryptocurrency scams in 2023.
Ripple's Reaction
Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse immediately reacted to the news on his X handle. He expressed disappointment and wrote, 'Unfort this feels like my annual PSA (and yes, I sound like a broken record): @Ripple and execs will NEVER ask you to send us XRP. It’s pathetic to see scammers prey on & exploit innocent crypto users, and the ease at which social media platforms allow it to happen. Stop, spot, avoid – protect yourself.'
Consequences of the Incident
Following the breach and video uploads, the Supreme Court administration launched a formal investigation. The channel was temporarily disabled to prevent further unauthorized access and the spread of misinformation. This incident also highlighted the necessity of stronger security measures on social media platforms. This was the first time that the Supreme Court's YouTube channel, used since 2018 for broadcasting key hearings, was compromised.
The hack of India's Supreme Court YouTube channel has highlighted vulnerabilities in information security and underscored the need for stronger anti-fraud measures on social media platforms.
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