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Streaming site Twitch confirms hack after confidential company data appears online

The service, where users often stream live video game play, confirmed the break-in on Twitter.

AMAZON’S POPULAR LIVE video streaming platform Twitch has said hackers had broken into its network after reports of exposed confidential company data surfaced online.

The service, where users often stream live video game play, confirmed the break-in on Twitter.

“We can confirm a breach has taken place,” Twitch said in post from its verified Twitter account.

“Our teams are working with urgency to understand the extent of this.”

The statement came after reports emerged that a massive dump of Twitch data had been posted on fringe anonymous message board 4Chan.

A post at 4Chan served up 125 gigabytes of data reported to include Twitch source code, records of payouts to streamers, and a digital video game distribution service being built by Amazon Game Studios.

It did not appear that personal Twitch user data was in the dump, but the extent of the hack was still being investigated.

Google searches for “how to delete Twitch” rocketed eightfold as news of the hack spread, according to marketing analysts firm N Rich.

“With such a concerning data breach from a platform as widespread and global as Twitch, users are naturally wanting to protect themselves and their data as soon as possible,” an N Rich spokesperson said.

The person who posted the trove of stolen data left a message claiming the break-in was performed to foster competition in video streaming, and because the Twitch community “is a disgusting toxic cesspool,” according to media reports.

Users of Twitch, the world’s biggest video game streaming site, staged a virtual walkout last month to voice outrage over barrages of racist, sexist and homophobic abuse on the platform.

The phenomenon of “hate raids” – torrents of abuse – has seen the platform become increasingly unpleasant many for Twitch streamers who are not white or straight.

A Twitter hashtag, #TwitchDoBetter, has become a magnet for complaints over the past month, largely from female, non-white and LGBTQ players saying that Twitch is failing to stop internet trolls running amok – all while taking 50% of streamers’ earnings.

Twitch has maintained that it is working to improve tools for protecting accounts from abuses.

The service is suing two users in US federal court, accusing them of orchestrating the so-called “hate raids.”

© – AFP 2021

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    Mute Bernadette Dunne
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    Nov 7th 2012, 5:27 PM

    God Love them it must be terrible to have to leave and just hope you will have a home when you get back to it.

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    Mute Mike Johnston
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    Nov 7th 2012, 5:28 PM

    America are really getting a battering hopefully there won’t be any loss of life this time round.

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    Mute Joe cassidy
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    Nov 7th 2012, 6:44 PM

    NY is becoming more and more like Cork every day

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    Mute Clark Hetherington
    Favourite Clark Hetherington
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    Nov 7th 2012, 9:22 PM

    my sister and brother in law just lost their long island house and now this. he can’t work because he has no access to fuel for his trucks, tough times ahead for them all. we really don’t understand how lucky we are sometimes.

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    Mute Kevin Smyth
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    Nov 7th 2012, 7:13 PM

    According to Republicans, the gays caused these storms. Therefore, it’ll be hard to persuade Reps to ‘believe’ in global warming, which, by the way, was kind enough to give us the wet, grey ‘summer’ we just had.

    Who needs scientists, studies and facts, when we have the bible and genesis.

    I’m sure Obama and Christie will be all over this new storm.

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    Mute Vincent Naughton
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    Nov 8th 2012, 12:12 AM

    @gavanreilly what is the meaning of “Après chois, le déluge”? I’ve never heard of that expression…

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