Introduction

In April 2024, Spy.pet, a notorious website for internet scraping, leaked and sold over 4 billion Discord messages after a massive privacy invasion of Discord. Spy.pet has been quietly gathering and selling billions of public messages from Discord users, sparking serious concerns about online privacy and data security. Let’s see in detail how this breach happened, what are the consequences, and how you can avoid it in the future.

How Did this Breach Happen? 

Since November 2023, Spy.pet has been collecting data from over 14,201 servers, amassing a mind-boggling 4 billion public messages. This vast cache of information includes the digital footprints of nearly 628 million users, exposing a plethora of personal and potentially sensitive communication

Spy.pet’s methods exposed significant vulnerabilities in Discord's platform, highlighting potential security flaws in how Discord interacts with third-party applications and bots. The response has been swift, with Discord initiating an investigation into Spy.pet’s activities and pledging to take action against any violations of its Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.

Consequences of the Breach 

We all know that Discord is a popular communication platform among gamers, communities, and businesses today and is often used for a wide range of interactions, from casual conversations to confidential exchanges. The leaked messages may include private chats, server discussions, and direct messages, laying bare the inner workings of countless interactions. Users’ personal information, including usernames, nicknames, and real names, could be compromised. 

Additionally, private photos, videos, and sensitive media shared on Discord may now be exposed to unauthorized parties. Financial details, if exchanged in conversations, and confidential company communications conducted through Discord channels could be laid bare, potentially jeopardizing business operations and trade secrets.

How the Leaked Data is Sold in Exchange for Crypto?

The buyers don’t need to descend into the dark dungeons of the dark web to buy this leaked information from Discord. It’s available for anyone on the regular web. Users who wanted to browse the harvested data needed to purchase credits and then spend the credits to access conversation archives, search for servers, and look up profiles. 

As expected, the service deals exclusively with cryptocurrency. A credit costs $0.01, and buyers must purchase a minimum of 500 credits. A new search for a profile costs 10 credits (7 for a cached profile). Interestingly, the platform also offers an enterprise version inviting interested parties to contact the administrator.

Discord’s Response and Legal Implications After the Breach

The response to this breach has been swift. Discord has launched an investigation into Spy.pet’s activities and is committed to protecting users’ privacy. "Discord is committed to protecting the privacy and data of our users. We are currently investigating this matter," a spokesperson for the app maker told The Register (A tech tabloid). "If we determine that violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines have occurred, we will take appropriate steps to enforce our policies. We cannot provide further comments as this is an ongoing investigation."

Discord briefly took action by banning affiliated accounts and considering appropriate legal action. "Scraping our services and self-botting are violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. In addition to banning the affiliated accounts, we are considering appropriate legal action," a Discord representative said. Spy.pet operators infiltrated open Discord servers or ones that could be easily accessed via invite links and initiated data harvesting. 

After being spotted, the service started to lose access to the servers it managed to infiltrate, gradually dropping to zero as of last week. The website was then taken down on Friday of last week, as a Telegram account allegedly belonging to its administrator confirmed. The account owner said the service might be resurrected through a domain backup, but it remains down so far.

How Can You Protect Yourself After a Data Breach Like Discord’s? 

Keeping in view what happened in Discord’s data breach, you should review your Discord privacy settings. Enabling two-factor authentication, changing passwords regularly, and exercising caution when sharing personal information or sensitive content are crucial steps in safeguarding against potential risks.

Report any suspicions of compromised accounts to Discord immediately for prompt action. Moreover, you can use PrivacyHawk to make sure you don’t fall prey to this type of breach.

How PrivacyHawk Can Help You Avoid Data Breach / Data Leakage? 

PrivacyHawk helps prevent people from falling victim to data breaches by enabling them to delete sensitive information from unnecessary and unwanted corporate and data broker databases. With PrivacyHawk's tool to reduce your digital footprint, you can have peace of mind knowing the possibility of being in the next data breach is reduced.

Additionally, our ID theft protection suite offers protection even if the worst happens, with up to $1M in ID theft insurance, live phone support, and dark web monitoring and alerts. You’re covered on all fronts.

Conclusion

To sum up, we can say that today, it is more important than ever to be vigilant about your online privacy. Taking steps like reviewing your Discord privacy settings, enabling two-factor authentication, and regularly changing your passwords can make a big difference. Stay cautious, and if you ever suspect that your account has been compromised, don't hesitate to report it to Discord right away.

Remember, we are living in a digital world now, so staying safe online is just as crucial as locking your front door. By being proactive and using tools like PrivacyHawk, you can protect yourself from falling prey to data breaches and keep your personal information secure. PrivacyHawk can help you reduce your digital footprint, monitor for dark web threats, and provide live support to address any concerns. You can download PrivacyHawk from the Apple App Store / Google Play Store for free anytime.