Supreme Court Shuts Down YouTube Channel After Alleged Hacking.
Supreme Court YouTube channel in India which livestreams important cases for public viewing has been compromised by hackers on Friday. The channel displayed videos promoting XRP, a cryptocurrency developed by US-based Ripple Labs. Since the channel is used to broadcast sensitive legal proceedings with over 2 lakh subscribers this security breach is alarming, especially deluging with unrelated content and suspicious videos. Most recently, the channel streamed the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder case hearing on September 17 on the official YouTube channel.
BREAKING: The official YouTube channel of the Supreme Court of India has been HACKED. The channel has over 2 lakh subscribers and was used for live streaming of constitution bench cases and cases of larger public interest. Most recently, the channel streamed the Kolkata doctor’s… pic.twitter.com/AiRJErA0lt
— Law Today (@LawTodayLive) September 20, 2024
The channel showed videos related to cryptocurrency instead of live court proceedings including a blank video titled “Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC’s $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION”. This incident raises concerns about the vulnerability of even the most secure institutions to cyberattacks and unethical hacking.
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Supreme Court officials have confirmed that the authorities are working to resolve the issue promptly. The incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks, particularly those exploiting platforms with high visibility for promoting cryptocurrency schemes.
Now, According to the Supreme Court, the YouTube channel has been temporarily taken down but stated that the services will resume shortly. The court has reassured the public that efforts are being made to restore the channel and ensure the security of the platform moving forward. The Supreme Court said: “This is to inform all concerned that the YouTube channel of the Supreme Court YouTube channel has been taken down.”
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The Supreme Court’s YouTube channel was established following a landmark verdict in 2018 allowing live streaming of cases involving public interest. However, this is not the first time the same name come to notice. Ripple Labs cryptocurrency scams have targeted YouTube channels before with multiple incidents reported by several Youtubers. Scammers create fake, official-sounding accounts for Ripple and its CEO Brad Garlinghouse or hack successful YouTubers’ accounts gaining hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
