Supreme Court's YouTube channel hacked, promotes cryptocurrency scam

The Supreme Court of India’s official YouTube channel appears to have been hacked, with users reporting that the channel is currently displaying videos promoting XRP, a cryptocurrency developed by Ripple Labs. As of Friday morning, attempts to access the channel have been met with ads and videos unrelated to the court’s official content.

A senior Supreme Court official mentioned that the breach was detected early Friday morning, and the matter has been escalated to the National Informatics Centre (NIC) for resolution. “It appears the channel has been compromised,” the official told The Indian Express, but details about the incident remain unclear.

Hackers replace court content with cryptocurrency videos

The hackers seem to have replaced official court content with a video titled ‘Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC’s $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION’, referring to the CEO of Ripple Labs. Videos from the court’s previous hearings, which included live streams of important cases, have reportedly been made private by the attackers.

This breach follows a common trend of scammers hacking popular YouTube accounts to promote cryptocurrency schemes. According to reports, hackers have previously impersonated Ripple’s CEO Brad Garlinghouse to deceive users into participating in fraudulent XRP reward schemes.

Cryptocurrency ad appears on Supreme Court Youtube Channel

Impact on Supreme Court’s operations

The Supreme Court has been actively using its YouTube channel to stream hearings of significant cases, including those before Constitution Benches and matters of public interest. Recent cases, such as the suo motu case on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape and murder incident, were streamed live on the channel, showcasing the Court’s efforts to maintain transparency.

With videos currently being manipulated by hackers, there is growing concern over the safety and integrity of the channel, which is used by the public to access important legal proceedings.

Official sources told Bar and Bench that the Supreme Court’s administration is working diligently to resolve the issue and restore the channel’s functionality. The exact timeline for the restoration remains unknown, but steps are being taken to ensure the security of the platform moving forward.

The Supreme Court has taken down its YouTube channel. A notice from the top court said, "Youtube channel of Supreme Court of India will resume shortly."