If you are a recurring Discord user, there is a possibility that your data and messages have been sold for only five dollars in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin or Ethereum on a platform called Spy Pet.
This website, which is no longer available, may have had the ability to crawl information through the use of bots. Apparently he managed to access more than 627 million user accounts of Discordapproximately 14,200 servers and more than 4 billion messages.
The premise of this allegedly fraudulent site was: “Have you ever wondered where your friend hangs out in Discord? Tired of basic search tools like Discord.id? Look no further!”
That is, data theft could have become very easy for interested users. They only had to access Spy Net, enter the user they wanted to spy on and thus they would obtain all their data.
The situation would become even more alarming given the fact that Spy Pet not only provided access to user data, but could also have provided information for training artificial intelligence models or collaborating with government entities.
Discord recognized the seriousness of the events and indicated that it was working to solve this failure. “If we determine that violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines have occurred, we will take appropriate action to enforce our policies. “We cannot provide further comment as this is an ongoing investigation,” the company told PCMag.
“I like to scrape, archive and challenge myself,” the SpyPet admin told 404 Medium. “Discord is basically the holy grail of scraping, as Discord will try absolutely anything to combat scraping,” he added.
Protecting personal information on online platforms like Discord has become essential to ensure user privacy and security.
First, It is vital to properly configure account privacy and security. Discord offers different options in its settings menu that allow users to control who can send them direct messages, add them as friends, or join servers they participate on.
It is recommended that you review and adjust these settings to limit access to only known and trusted users.
Another important aspect is to be selective when joining servers. Before joining a new server, it is useful to research its reputation and the privacy policies it maintains.
Likewise, it is crucial to be aware of the information shared in public chats and channels. Although Discord is a platform designed for interaction and content sharing, disclosing sensitive personal details can put privacy at risk.
Using strong, unique passwords for your Discord account and enabling two-step verification are essential security practices. These measures add an additional layer of protection against unauthorized access, ensuring that only the account owner has the ability to access it.
Lastly, it is important to stay informed about the latest online security trends and threats. Discord and other digital services are constantly evolving, and so are the tactics employed by malicious actors.
Although Spy Net would have managed to overcome all existing security barriers, it never hurts to follow certain guidelines to protect our privacy. Implementing additional security measures and practicing cautious digital behavior are essential steps.
Essentially, using strong passwords, enabling two-step verification, and prudent handling of personal information on digital platforms can make all the difference in protecting our private data.
