Famous YouTubers get hacked too, and rarely because of a weak password. Linus Tech Tips lost three channels to a fake sponsorship file in 2023, and a hacker group got into the channels of Logan Paul and other Studio71 creators in 2017. Here are four channels that were hacked, how each one got back, and what the story means for your own channel.
If your channel was hacked today, start with our guide on what to do when your YouTube channel is hacked. To protect it before anything happens, use our 3-step plan against hijacking.
The Problem of YouTube Account Hacks
Hacking has been a problem on YouTube for as long as there have been channels worth stealing. Hackers want money or reach, and a big channel gives them both. Most of the time they need very little. AIR Media-Tech’s Safety team sees most hacks start with access the creator gave away, a file from a fake advertiser, or a download or link nobody checked.
And for a YouTuber, losing a channel means losing a livelihood. Hackers may hijack a creator’s channel to promote fraudulent schemes, change content to something inappropriate, or use the platform to scam viewers.
The YouTube community has seen its share of high-profile hacks. Here are four of them, and how each channel got back.
1. Linus Tech Tips
On March 23, 2023, viewers found Linus Tech Tips and two sister channels, Techquickie and TechLinked, emptied of their videos and running crypto scam streams. Someone on the team had downloaded what looked like a sponsorship offer. The “PDF” was malware that took saved passwords, cookies, and session tokens from Chrome and Edge, so the hackers never needed a password or a 2-Step Verification code.
How they got the channels back
Linus got out of bed in the early hours and worked with YouTube to regain control, and all three channels were back to normal the next day. Afterwards, he said the hack could have been “easily avoided” with better processes. At about 3 a.m., he realized he didn’t know how to reset passwords and access across the channels, and the way roles were assigned slowed the recovery down.
That last part is the one we’d take from it. Decide now who owns each channel and who can change permissions, so a recovery at 3 a.m. doesn’t start with a search for the right login. Our 3-step plan against hijacking starts with exactly that.
Lost your channel to a hacker?
Our Safety team works on the case with you and with YouTube, and gives you a plan to get the channel back.
Get help with a hacked channel →2. Logan Paul and other Studio71 creators
In April 2017, the hacker group OurMine got into hundreds of YouTube accounts, including the channels of Logan Paul, Roman Atwood, Lilly Singh, Guava Juice, and Family Fun Pack. They all worked with the same network, Studio71. The hackers replaced video titles and descriptions with “Hey, it’s OurMine, don’t worry, we are just testing your security, please contact us for more information.” Ten days earlier, the same group had hit creators from another network, Omnia Media.
Source: Mo B
How they got their channels back
Creators said Studio71 and YouTube were working together to restore the titles, descriptions, and other details. Beauty creator Chloe Morello told fans her videos “should be able to return to normal soon.”
When a hack comes through a network, a creator can’t fix it alone. Ask anyone who manages your channel, whether it’s a network or an agency, how they protect access and who you call if something goes wrong.
3. Drake, Taylor Swift and other Vevo channels
On April 5, 2022, strange videos started appearing on the Vevo channels of Drake, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Lil Nas X, The Weeknd and other artists. Some were titled “hacked by @lospelaosbro.” Vevo said an “unauthorized source” had uploaded them to “a small number of Vevo artist channels” and that no existing content was accessible to it.
How they got their channels back
Vevo removed the videos, said the accounts were secured, and promised to review its security systems.
The artists didn’t run these channels themselves, and the hack still carried their names. Every company with access to your channel is part of your security, so check the channel permissions list now and then and remove anyone who no longer works with you.
4. Brickmine
But what happens if you aren’t a YouTuber with millions of subscribers behind your back, and YouTube takes too long to help? The Brickmine channel (now GoCraft Motion), 237K+ subscribers and a channel AIR Media-Tech works with, lost access overnight after a hack.
How they got their channel back
AIR Media-Tech’s Safety team asked YouTube to verify the channel and restore access to the appeal form, then helped the creator write the appeal. AIR Media-Tech is an official YouTube partner, so the case went to YouTube support directly. The channel was back within a few days.
A strong setup lowers the odds of a hack, and a team that knows the route shortens the recovery when one happens anyway.
Best Practices for YouTube Security
So, how do you keep your channel safe? Each story above points to the same few habits.
- Add a passkey and keep 2-Step Verification on, but drop text-message codes.
- Never run files from sponsorship offers. Ask for the brief as text, and open anything else in Google Drive preview on another device.
- Give your team roles through channel permissions instead of your password, and remove people who no longer work with you.
- Decide now who owns the channel and who can change permissions, before anything goes wrong.
- If you’re hacked, contact YouTube right away, and reach out to your partner manager or network if you have one.
The full setup, with what to do if you’ve already opened a file, is in our 3-step plan against hijacking.
Cybersecurity may not be the most exciting part of being a creator, but it’s a necessary one.
Want someone in your corner if a hacker gets in?
With Hack Protection, AIR Media-Tech's Safety team helps from the first call and gives you a plan to get the channel back and keep it.
- A one-hour consultation and a check of your account and channel
- A recovery plan for your case
- Help with YouTube's recovery forms and written replies
- Support until YouTube answers
