A recent data breach involving Pornhub made many people acutely aware that this could represent a dangerous blowback against user privacy and security. A hacking collective with a history of successful cyberattacks has allegedly grabbed sensitive user viewing information. Now they’re attempting to shake down the popular adult entertainment platform for their benefit. Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai, a Senior Writer at TechCrunch has been leading the charge on this scoop. He illustrates the threats it could pose for consumers.
Bleeping Computer was the first to cover the breach. They validated that the stolen data associated with Pornhub Premium members had indeed been released onto the public web. Unfortunately, this incident is just another in a growing list of data breaches caused by the same group. This cohort has already been behind many of the largest hacks in 2025. In the past, they have targeted Salesforce CRMs as well as Gainsight customers. This led to massive data breaches that compromised the information of hundreds of millions of Americans.
Franceschi-Bicchierai says it’s critical to understand the full extent of this breach. The stolen data does include personal information, which makes this attack particularly alarming. It further underscores the pressing questions about the security standards that Pornhub and other user-submitted content platforms possess.
Mixpanel recently revealed a second incident that took place on November 8. This breach didn’t just impact its corporate customers – it directly endangered everyone using their service. The company cited “unauthorized activity in an ancillary service dashboard,” indicating potential vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. SoundCloud also acknowledged that some information related to user profiles was already visible on public profiles, complicating concerns about privacy and security.
In case you’re looking to connect with Franceschi-Bicchierai, you can email him at lorenzo@techcrunch.com. He can be reached for secure communications on Signal at +1 917 257 1382. You can find him on Telegram and Keybase as @lorenzofb.
This story is still developing and serves as a constant reminder of the ever-present state of cybersecurity threats. It serves as a reminder that protecting our personal information online has never been more important.