**Massive Data Leak: 70,000 Discord User ID Photos Exposed in Cyber-Attack**
Discord, the widely-used messaging platform among gamers with over 200 million users, has confirmed that the official ID photos of approximately 70,000 users may have been exposed due to a recent cyber-attack. The breach occurred when hackers targeted a third-party firm responsible for verifying user ages, not the Discord platform itself. This alarming incident raised concerns as it not only involves personal information but could also lead to compromised partial credit card details and customer service communications that users had with Discord.
Although the company reassured users that no full credit card information, passwords, or other sensitive activities beyond interactions with customer support were compromised, the implications of such a leak remain significant. Discord has responded promptly, contacting all affected users and collaborating with law enforcement to investigate the breach further. They also severed ties with the customer service provider implicated in the incident.
In a statement to the press, a representative from Zendesk, the customer service software provider, clarified that their systems were not violated, indicating that the breach did not stem from any vulnerabilities in their platform. Despite this, speculation grew online suggesting the breach might be more extensive than disclosed by Discord, which the company firmly denied, labeling such claims as attempts to extort payment. As cybercriminals continually pursue personal data that can be sold on the dark web, the value of information like full names and official ID numbers is particularly concerning, especially since such data tends to remain unchanged over time.
To counteract potential misuse of its platform, Discord has previously reinforced its age-verification measures amid heightened concerns that certain servers were being exploited for the distribution of inappropriate content.