YouTube Hackers Target Drake, Taylor Swift, More: Report

Jazz Monroe
Updated
Popular Vevo accounts reportedly vandalized with “Free Palestine” message

Hackers have targeted several major YouTube accounts hosted by Vevo, the BBC reports. Drake, Taylor Swift, and Selena Gomez are among the artists whose video thumbnails were replaced with an image of masked people pointing guns, according to the BBC. The hackers called themselves Prosox and Kuroi’sh and reportedly wrote “Free Palestine” underneath some of the videos. Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” video, which has had more than 5 billion views, was also hacked and briefly taken down, the BBC reports.

All the videos appear to have been restored. Pitchfork has contacted YouTube and Vevo representatives for comment.

A Twitter account reportedly belonging to the hacker Prosox tweeted at Vevo, “You have all my respect but do not leave the control to your site to any developer.” Another user purporting to be Kuroi’sh threatened to hack more accounts if they gained enough followers.