Tech

How bad is the Discord hack? What you need to know.

Published

4 months ago

October 11, 2025

Vicky

Seventy-thousand. That's the number of users who may have had their government-issued IDs stolen as part of a major breach of the popular chat and messaging app Discord. While that may seem like a small number when considering Discord has hundreds of millions of users, there is a more concerning factor here — tech companies continuing to require identification from some of its users and the security risk involved in maintaining that information.

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What happened in the Discord hack?

Last week, the popular chat and messaging platform Discord announced that a third-party customer support vendor had suffered a breach. Any information that a user provided to a customer support representative with this third-party could have potentially been stolen by a bad actor. Discord said this included usernames, names, email addresses, chats with the customer support team, limited billing information such as the last four digits of a credit card, and photos of a "small number" of government IDs.

On Thursday, Discord updated this notice to include more details, including a specific number of affected users. In total, up to 70,000 users had their government-issued IDs exposed. According to Discord, "Of the accounts impacted globally, we have identified approximately 70,000 users that may have had government-ID photos exposed, which our vendor used to review age-related appeals."

What are age-related appeals?

In the past, Discord did not collect government IDs from users. However, many states began requiring certain internet apps and services to prove users are not minors, either through a digital ID or facial recognition.

Discord allows users to submit a photo of themselves to prove their age; those pictures are then run through automated age verification systems. These systems estimate the user's age and either let them proceed on the site or deny them access. Photos submitted are then immediately deleted from the age verification system.

However, in some cases, these age verification systems get things wrong. Users can then submit an appeal along with a photo of their government ID. Discord's breach happened when its third-party vendor that processes its appeals was hacked.

As these age verification requirements spread, more sites will be forced to collect more information from users, giving hackers a trove of new information to pilfer.

What now?

As NBC News reports, hackers claiming to be behind the breach have set up a Telegram channel where they posted thousands of users' names, email addresses, and other sensitive data. Hackers have also posted over 100 photos of individual Discord users holding up their government IDs.

Discord says approximately 70,000 Discord users have had photos of their IDs stolen by hackers who are now attempting to extort the site. The hackers claim to have more than 2,185,000 photos, but Discord has denied that number, claiming the hackers are exagerating to extort a ransom. It's unclear what actions Discord intends to take at this time.

As age verification laws proliferate, tech companies like Discord will likely have to develop new, more secure methods for verifying their users' ages.

Will Discord pay a ransom?

As is often the case in high-profile breaches, the hackers are trying to extort a ransom. However, Discord says that it will not pay a ransom or "reward" the cybercriminals responsible. A Discord spokesperson told The Verge, "we will not reward those responsible for their illegal actions."

Tech

Elon Musk wants to build a giant catapult on the moon

Published

2 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Vicky

Elon Musk with his hand on his chin attempting to look intelligent

For years, Elon Musk has talked about colonizing Mars. Now, he's talking about building Looney Tunes contraptions on the moon instead.

The New York Times reported that Musk told employees at xAI on Tuesday evening that he wants to build a factory on the moon to construct AI data center satellites. Not only that, but Musk wants the factory to include some type of gigantic space catapult, called a mass driver, that would then launch the satellites into space, purportedly for the sake of powering xAI's artificial intelligence network.

"You have to go to the moon," Musk reportedly told employees, per the Times.

In case you're wondering why this plan involves xAI and not just SpaceX, it's because the two just recently merged at the corporate level. Musk said that the merger was necessary to help xAI build AI data centers in orbit around the Earth.

While these plans sound like something straight out of science fiction, Musk does have an impressive track record with SpaceX, which has accomplished many engineering firsts.

SEE ALSO:

Sam Altman unloads on Elon Musk in latest X posts

Of course, Musk did not elaborate on how, exactly, this facility would be built, or on what sort of timeline it would come together. Musk has spent decades talking up the notion of using SpaceX to colonize Mars, but he recently pivoted to the moon instead. Musk often talks about the importance of making the human race interplanetary.

As Mashable has reported previously, Musk has a history of making bold announcements that don't come to fruition.

Tech

How to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad online for free

Published

2 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Vicky

TL;DR: Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free on RTVE. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Copa del Rey semi finals are absolutely mouthwatering. A lot of fans will be focused on Atlético Madrid vs. Barcelona, but the first semi-final matchup is arguably even better.

Athletic Club take on Real Sociedad in the Basque derby. The San Mamés stadium will host the first leg of this fiery rivalry. We're expecting passionate support, intense competition, and of course, drama in abundance. It's going to be electric, and you can enjoy everything that this famous game has to offer without spending anything.

If you want to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

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When is Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad?

Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Feb. 11. This fixture takes place at the San Mamés.

How to watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad for free

Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey is available to live stream for free on RTVE.

RTVE is geo-restricted to Spain, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Spain, meaning you can unblock RTVE to live stream the Copa del Rey for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free by following these simple steps:

Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Spain
Visit RTVE
Watch Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad for free from anywhere in the world

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Copa del Rey without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTVE?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTVE, for a number of reasons:

Servers in 105 countries including Spain
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Athletic Club vs. Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey for free with ExpressVPN.

Tech

Reserve a new Galaxy device before Samsung Unpacked and get a free $30 credit

Published

3 hours ago

February 12, 2026

Vicky

FREE $30 CREDIT: Reservations for a new Samsung Galaxy device come with a free $30 Samsung credit.

Credit: Samsung

Reserve a new Samsung Galaxy device

Get a free $30 credit

Set a calendar event because the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is set for Feb. 25 online at both samsung.com and the brand's YouTube channel. If you'll be first in line for one of the new Galaxy S26 devices, there's a special deal in store if you reserve in advance.

Reservations for a new Samsung Galaxy device will earn you a free $30 Samsung credit. In addition, you'll be eligible for a savings of up to $900 on your order, and get entered to win $5,000 to spend at Samsung.

We have some idea of what the new Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup will include, but we'll all have to wait until Feb. 25 to get solid specs. But if you have intentions of upgrading, there's no harm in securing a reservation and saving $30. All you'll need to do is fill out Samsung's simple form with your name, e-mail address, and your phone number, if you feel like it. Then Samsung will keep you updated about future steps. The discount gets cancelled if you don't end up ordering a qualifying Galaxy device.

Mashable Tech Reporter Alex Perry said he wouldn't be surprised if the new S26 lineup comes with camera upgrades, in addition to more standard improvements like better battery life.

For those who've been patiently waiting for Galaxy Unpacked, now's your chance to place a reservation on a new Galaxy device with a free $30 credit. It's a win-win for those who are ready for an upgrade.