Image via Complex Original
Intro Slide
For years, YouTube has given subscribers the ability to create a user account, upload homemade videos, and share it with millions of viewers across the globe. On the other hand, it’s also become one of the several social media outlets to become a breeding ground for cyber criminals to spread their rebellious message across the Internet. Hacker factions such as Anonymous have already shown us the irreparable damage that can be done to a YouTube user and the entire video-sharing site. But there are also a couple of other hack jobs that have stirred up some controversy since the site’s inception which have targeted everyone from tween sensations to PBS programs. We advice you kick back, log in, and embed yourself into the 8 Craziest YouTube Account Hacks.
Soulja Boy
SupermanDatHo
Target: Soulja Boy
Date: Aug. 23, 2008
Members of the Japanese online community 4chan (linked to Anonymous) had it in for the “Crank Dat” rapper and hacked into all of his major media accounts, using the same password to access each one: SupermanDatHo. Think that’s hilarious? The group actually held his accounts for ransom, primarily his Myspace profile for just $2,500. DeAndre somehow regained access to his YouTube account and posted a video saying, “Niggas sent me a message on MySpace saying I got your shit, send me $2500 if you want it back…On the next video y’all stay tuned to see what we did with this hacker – we gotta make an example out of this shit.” Homie got it twisted.
Miley Cyrus Death Hoax
Hannah Montana's Death Hoax
Target: Miley Cyrus
Date: Nov. 17, 2008
From Myspace to her smartphone, Miley Cyrus has had all her social media accounts broken into at some point or another. But no hack job was more controversial than the two-minute video posted on the ‘Miley and Mandy Show’ YouTube account claiming she’d been hit and killed by a drunk driver. The clip featured a note supposedly from bff and co-star Mandy Jiroux confirming the teenage star’s death, to which Jiroux clarified was the work of a hacker on E! Online. Superfans swamped the channel with overenthusiastic comments soon after hearing the good news, but little did they know that was just the start of Hannah Montana's virtual miffs.
Luke Taylor
The Legend of Lukeywes1234
Target: YouTube
Date: Jan. 6 2010
Anonymous stood up for YouTuber Lukeywes1234 (Luke Wood) and attacked the site after the youngster’s account was deactivated for failing to meet the minimum age requirements. In retaliation, the group encouraged members to create fake accounts and upload pornographic videos, then to simultaneously make them public, causing YouTube admins to search the entire site for x-rated content. The question is: how did they manage to get all those videos past the site’s stringent security system? Hmm.
Justin Bieber
Bieber Fever
Target: All Justin Bieber videos
Date: July 4, 2010
Once again, Anonymous attacked YouTube and made the Biebs its next big target. The international hacker group launched a full-on viral assault against the pop singer and made tweens cry across the globe by blocking a majority of his music videos. How? The infiltrators discovered a hole in the site’s comment system and used an HTML script that targeted Bieber's videos: redirecting users to pornography and malware sites, and shooting pop-up screens teasing his death. Google then disabled the comments section and fixed the issue within two hours. At least someone put a stop to Bieber Fever, even if only for two hours.
Obama's Deception
The Obama Inception
Targets: Alex Jones and ChangeDaChannel
Date: July 17, 2010
Radio talk show host Alex Jones stirred up some controversy after uploading his film, The Obama Deception, on YouTube in 2009. Six million views later, the documentary that accused the president of being a pawn and deliberately working against the people's best interests had been pulled from the ChangeDaChannel account. By who, you ask? Well, Jones believed the video could have only been removed by Google or by a government-level security admin with access to the video-sharing site. You know, because blaming an activist opposed to the film’s conspiracy theorist views seems like the more senseless approach. We wonder what Anonymous was up to that day.
North Korea
South Korea Strikes Back
Target: North Korean Government
Date: Jan. 8, 2011
When you're the son of one of the most despised leaders in modern history, you' become an easy target. Enter Kim Jong-Un, son of North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong-II. Cyber criminals decided to hijack the North Korean government’s Twitter and YouTube pages on Jong-Un’s birthday—scolding him for his lavish lifestyle and posting an animated video of him running over women and children in a sports vehicle. The attacks were attributed to South Korean hackers and took place during a time when both regions were heavily at odds with each other. That’s what you call virtual guerilla tactics. Happy Birthday, kiddo!
Sesame Street
P Is For Porn
Target: Sesame Street
Date: Oct. 16, 2011
We'll spare you the Tickle Me Elmo quips. Instead of watching Big Bird teach the fundamentals of human anatomy, viewers (mostly children) were exposed to pornographic content for nearly 20 minutes on the Sesame Street channel. The unknown assailants replaced the page’s banner to read, “SESAME STREET: I’TS [sic] WHERE PORN LIVES,” while encouraging kids to stay tuned on the obviously edited profile description: “WHO DOESN’T LOVE PORN KIDS? RIGHT! EVERYONE LOVES IT…PLEASE DON’T LET SESAME STREET TO GET THIS ACCOUNT BACK KIDS …WE GONNA MAKE ALL THE AMERICA HAPPY!” CNN spotted a message on the account that pinned the hack on two YouTube users, MrSuicider91 and MrEdxwx. The latter posted a video claiming his innocence. MrSuicider91 on the other hand refused to comment.
Microsoft
"I Did Nothing Wrong"
Target: Microsoft
Date: Oct. 23, 201
Just one week after the Sesame Street attack, a Microsoft hater deleted all of the company’s YouTube videos, then uploaded four advertised-themed clips that solicited advertisements from channel subscribers. Viewers were greeted to a new background and a channel description that read, "I DID NOTHING WRONG I SIMPLY SIGNED INTO MY ACCOUNT THAT I MADE IN 2006 :/," which was quickly erased. Microsoft regained control and restored its original content in a matter of 24 hours. The cause of the attack has yet to be divulged.
