Disney investigates internal communications leak by Russian hacktivist group

Disney is currently investigating an apparent leak of internal communications by a hacking group called Nullbulge, which claims it is “protecting artists’ rights.” The group stated that it accessed thousands of messages from Disney employees and downloaded “every file possible.” The sensitivity of the leaked information is unclear, but it reportedly includes messages about upcoming projects.

“Disney is investigating this matter,” a company spokesperson confirmed.

Nullbulge’s website indicates that the group targets entities it believes harm the creative industry by using content generated by artificial intelligence (AI), which they describe as “theft.”

The BBC contacted the hackers, who claim to be based in Russia and say they infiltrated Disney’s internal Slack messaging system through an insider. However, the hackers did not provide a sample of the stolen data to verify its authenticity, leaving the BBC unable to independently assess if the data is genuine.

“Disney was our target due to how it handles artist contracts, its approach to AI, and its pretty blatant disregard for the consumer,” the hackers alleged. They released the data because they did not expect Disney to meet their demands to stop using AI.

It is uncommon for hackers to identify as “Russian hacktivists” with an ethical agenda, as most cyber criminals, including those in Russia, typically seek to extort money from their victims.

The leak was first reported in the gaming press and subsequently picked up by the Wall Street Journal. The leaked material reportedly includes information related to advertising campaigns and interview candidates, with some data dating back to 2019.

There is growing concern among performers, artists, and other creatives that the rapid spread of generative AI will undermine their livelihoods and damage the creative environment. Generative AI is trained on large datasets of existing material, including texts, images, music, and video, enabling it to produce new work that can be difficult to distinguish from human-generated material. Some artists and authors have claimed that AI firms breached copyright by using their original work to train these AI tools.

Nullbulge describes itself as “a hacktivist group protecting artists’ rights and ensuring fair compensation for their work.” On its website, the group states, “Our hacks are not those of malice, but to punish those caught stealing. We will work tirelessly to develop and implement solutions that protect the rights and livelihoods of artists in the digital age.”

The Walt Disney Company operates a wide range of businesses, from filmmaking and streaming services like Disney+ and Hulu to video games and theme parks worldwide. It also owns the highly successful Marvel and Star Wars franchises. Arise.Tv