DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

Why an Internet activist refuses to take down Patreon breach data

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Dissent

Sean Sposito reports on why Thomas White, who posted the Patreon data dump on  his site, TheCthulhu.com, refuses to take it down.

Despite the legal risk, White said, the public has a right to know exactly what data has been exposed — and researchers should be able to safely examine it to find out how it happened.

Could white be in legal jeopardy as a result of his actions? Yes, and the fact that he is in the U.K. may not protect him.

White said that in the past week, he has received one take-down request from a nonprofit focused on Internet security, but he has no plans to comply.

“At the moment, I do have intelligence that there is a sealed indictment filed against me by the FBI in one of the U.S. federal courts,” he said, over an encrypted phone call, in a heavy accent.

Read more on San Francisco Chronicle. Like Troy Hunt, I have concerns about what White has done. Although I understand and appreciate his argument that the data are already out there and he’s facilitating research, the reality is that he’s making access to the stolen data easier for people who might not otherwise go searching for it. Should his act be viewed as criminal, though? I don’t think so.

Category: ExposureHackMiscellaneous

Post navigation

← New EMV-chipped credit cards still vulnerable to fraudsters – FBI
Clinton e-mails were vulnerable to hackers, tech firm warned →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • Fraudsters, murderers, students: who the GRU assembled a team of hacker provocateurs from and why it failed
  • Order of Psychologists of Lombardy fined 30,000 € for inadequate data security protection and detection following ransomware attack
  • Lower Merion School District says a data breach was caused by a computer glitch
  • After $1 Million Ransom Demand, Virgin Islands Lottery Restores Operations Without Paying Hackers
  • Junior Defence Contractor Arrested For Leaking Indian Naval Secrets To Suspected Pakistani Spies
  • Mysterious leaker GangExposed outs Conti kingpins in massive ransomware data dump
  • Resource: HoganLovells Asia-Pacific Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Guide 2025
  • Class action settlement following ransomware attack will cost Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center about $52 million
  • Comstar LLC agrees to corrective action plan and fine to settle HHS OCR charges
  • Australian ransomware victims now must tell the government if they pay up

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • Fears Grow Over ICE’s Reach Into Schools
  • Resource: HoganLovells Asia-Pacific Data, Privacy and Cybersecurity Guide 2025
  • She Got an Abortion. So A Texas Cop Used 83,000 Cameras to Track Her Down.
  • Why AI May Be Listening In on Your Next Doctor’s Appointment
  • Watch out for activist judges trying to deprive us of our rights to safe reproductive healthcare
  • Nebraska Bans Minor Social Media Accounts Without Parental Consent
  • Trump Taps Palantir to Compile Data on Americans

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.