Cyberattack Floods China’s TikTok Rival with Porn and Violent Videos
Recently, a serious cyberattack targeted Kuaishou, one of China’s leading short-video platforms. This incident occurred around 10 p.m. on a Monday, unleashing a flood of pornographic and violent videos on its livestreaming service for approximately 90 minutes. The attack shocked hundreds of millions of users, raising questions about internet security in a country where online content is rigorously controlled.
Details of the Cyberattack on Kuaishou
Users took to Weibo, expressing their disbelief at the overwhelming amount of explicit content. Comments included sentiments like, “What happened to Kuaishou? It’s nothing but porn,” indicating the severity of the situation.
Company Response
- Kuaishou reported the incident to law enforcement.
- The company stated that its app is gradually returning to regular operations.
- It attributed the attack to “underground and gray industries” involved in illegal online activities.
Impact of the Incident
Kuaishou is the second largest short-video platform in China, boasting over 416 million daily active users but is now facing disruptions due to the attack. As a result, shares of the company, which is listed in Hong Kong, dropped by as much as 6% on the following Tuesday.
Security Concerns and Regulations
The Cyberspace Administration of China highlighted the increasing scale and frequency of cyberattacks. Reports indicated that the attackers utilized artificial intelligence to bypass security measures, compromising user data and leveraging 17,000 bot accounts to facilitate the dissemination of unsuitable content.
The increase in these cyber threats has prompted the Chinese government to implement new regulations. These rules, effective from September, require online platforms to report security breaches promptly to authorities. Despite these measures, the vulnerability of traditional defense systems has been exposed, as automated attacks overwhelm manual review processes.
Broader Context: Upcoming Legal Changes
Concerns about internet safety coincide with proposed amendments to laws governing online content. These amendments have sparked extensive discussion regarding stricter regulations and fines associated with distributing obscene materials. Reports suggest that even forwarding such content to friends could soon become criminalized, inciting backlash among the public.
Public Reaction
Contradictory perspectives have emerged regarding the implications of these legal changes. Some argue against the punitive measures for private exchanges of sexual content, stating that the existing laws are already sufficient without further restrictions.
As this situation unfolds, many await further clarity from Kuaishou and hope for effective resolutions to prevent future cybersecurity threats in China’s tightly controlled internet landscape.
