Tech
How bad is the Discord hack? What you need to know.
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.
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."
If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.
There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.
An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.
If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.
Hurdle Word 1 hint
A music and film genre.
Hurdle Word 1 answer
INDIE
Hurdle Word 2 hint
A hut.
Hurdle Word 2 Answer
SHACK
Hurdle Word 3 hint
Rough.
Hurdle Word 3 answer
RIGID
Hurdle Word 4 hint
Hereditary material.
Hurdle Word 4 answer
GENES
Final Hurdle hint
A jewelry measurement.
Hurdle Word 5 answer
KARAT
If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
TL;DR: Get a refurbished Apple MacBook Air on sale for $194.97 with free shipping through Nov. 16 (reg. $999). This is a great device for everyday use.
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Yes, you read that right. You can grab one of Apple’s infamous MacBook Airs for under $200, and there’s no catch. Well, inventory is extremely low, so you’ll have to make sure to get yours before they sell out.
But you get the same performance, portability, and quality MacBooks are known for, except you only pay $194.97 vs. the $999 MSRP because of its refurbished status. You’ll also receive free shipping for a limited time.
Powered by a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor and Intel HD Graphics 6000, this MacBook Air breezes through web browsing, email, shopping, streaming, and basic work projects. It’s paired with 128GB of flash storage, giving you plenty of space for documents, photos, and apps, all while keeping things zippy.
And with 12 hours of battery life, you won’t be tethered to an outlet, whether you’re at home, at the office, or camped out at a coffee shop.
The 13.3-inch widescreen display with 1440×900 resolution allows your movies, spreadsheets, and FaceTime calls to look sharp and vibrant. Meanwhile, built-in WiFi and Bluetooth make it easy to stay connected and share files across your devices.
This machine isn’t just affordable; it’s also worry-free. With its Grade A/B refurbished rating, you may notice a tiny scuff or scratch, but inside, you’re getting a fully functional MacBook ready to roll.
At this price, it’s perfect as a primary laptop, a backup machine, or even a dedicated travel computer. Lightweight, reliable, and sleek — it’s the kind of deal that makes sense whether you’re working, learning, or just binge-watching.
Don’t miss this refurbished MacBook Air deal: $194.97 until Nov. 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT, or when inventory runs out (reg. $999).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
TL;DR: Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows on sale for $39.97 through Nov. 16 — a one-time purchase for lifelong access (reg. $219.99).
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This is your last chance to ditch Microsoft 365’s subscription fees for good. Until tomorrow, Nov. 16, at midnight, you can grab a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 for 81% less than its usual retail price. Simply pay once, download the full software suite, and never worry about renewals again.
We know what you’re thinking, but rest assured, this isn’t some stripped-down lite version either. It’s the real deal. Whether you’re writing reports, crunching numbers, building presentations, managing emails, or wrangling databases, the lifetime version of Microsoft Office has you covered.
It’s a one-time download for one Windows PC, so once it’s yours, it’s yours. The full pro-level toolkit, minus the stress of a subscription. Plus, with instant license delivery and free customer support, getting started is as painless as your new spreadsheet workflow.
No more “trial expired” pop-ups. No more surprise charges. Just the latest versions of Microsoft’s best apps, ready to support all of your work and personal needs.
Download Microsoft Office for Windows while it’s on sale for $39.97 until Nov. 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT (reg. $219.99). No coupon is needed.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Hurdle hints and answers for November 16, 2025
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