Hackers Claim To Have "Backed Up" Podcast Giant Spotify's Files, Stole 300TB Worth Of Data
TL;DR
Hackers claim to have scraped 86 million Spotify tracks, totaling 300TB of data, and plan to release it as a 'preservation archive.' Spotify confirms unauthorized access but states it was limited to public metadata and circumvention of DRM.
Source: PCWorld
In one of the most brazen digital music heists of all time, a group of hackers says it has “backed up” the podcast giant Spotify’s music files and metadata, and it plans on releasing the files publicly in a massive “preservation archive.” In a blog post detailing its exploits, Anna’s Archives claims it managed to scrape 86 million Spotify tracks, representing more than 99 percent of the streamer’s “listens.” The hackers say they will release the data—all 300 terabytes worth—on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks in a “humble attempt to start…a ‘preservation archive’ for music.” In a statement obtained by Billboard, a representative for Spotify says, “An investigation into unauthorized access identified that a third party scraped public metadata and used illicit tactics to circumvent DRM to access some of the platform’s audio files.” Full Story