Netflix and Hulu Targeted by Hackers Over LGBTQ+ Content

Netflix and Hulu experienced outages in various locations, reportedly due to a cyberattack by a group protesting against LGBTQ+ content. The group, named Anonymous Sudan, took responsibility for the breach via its Telegram channel. They specifically targeted Netflix's LGBTQ+ content and claimed to have caused a 30-minute outage in certain areas. The group also hinted at another planned attack.

The hackers justified their attack by expressing disapproval of the "LGBTQIA+" content on Netflix. While Netflix and Anonymous Sudan were contacted by Newsweek for comments, there was no immediate response.

According to CheckHost, the outages affected parts of the U.S., Turkey, Russia, Poland, U.K., U.A.E., Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, and several European countries. However, cybersecurity expert Mattias Wahlen from TrueSec clarified that the group's actions were not genuine hacking but a "distributed denial of service" (DDoS) attack. In such attacks, a network of computers contacts the target website simultaneously, overloading it and preventing legitimate users from accessing it.

Wahlen referred to such groups as "cyber vandals" rather than "hacktivists." He explained that there's a criminal economy where some criminals create these networks and then rent out access to these so-called "activists."

Interestingly, Anonymous Sudan has previously claimed responsibility for hacking and causing outages on X, which was formerly known as Twitter. The group emerged in January 2022 and was initially believed to be associated with the renowned "hacktivist" group, Anonymous. However, research by TrueSec suggests that it might be operated by Russian hackers aiming to disrupt Sweden's NATO application.

TrueSec's findings indicate that the current Anonymous Sudan is likely not the same group that was active in Africa. The original group was involved in digital activism, targeting government websites in response to Sudan's political and economic turmoil. The new group primarily communicates via Telegram, a platform popular among Russian hackers, and posts in English and Russian but never in Arabic.

Wahlen believes that the group might be acting as a proxy for a Russian government agency. The justification for attacking Netflix over LGBTQ+ content could be part of a "disinformation campaign" aimed at portraying the Russian government in a positive light in cultural battles against the West.

Netflix users took to social media to express their frustration over the outages. Many were in the middle of watching shows when the service went down. The outage coincided with the end of Netflix's DVD subscription service, adding to the users' dismay.

Updates: The article was updated with comments from Mattias Wahlen and additional information about Anonymous Sudan and posts from Netflix users reporting outages.

Child Privacy Concerns

The cyberattack on Netflix, especially given its vast library of content for children and teenagers, raises concerns about child privacy. With increasing digital threats, it's crucial for platforms like Netflix to ensure the safety and privacy of young users. Protecting children from inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and data breaches should be a top priority for all online platforms.

Conclusion

The cyberattack on Netflix and Hulu highlights the evolving nature of cyber threats and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. As digital platforms become an integral part of our daily lives, ensuring their security and the privacy of their users, especially children, becomes paramount.