People are required to follow COVID-19 safety protocol at Disneyland Park as it reopens for the first time since the COVID 19 pandemic forced the park to shut down last year on April 30, 2021 in Anaheim, California. California saw some of the highest infection rates in the nation over the winter but now enjoys some of the lowest. Los Angeles County, for example, is now expected to move from the orange tier of the states economic reopening system based on COVID-19 metrics to the least restrictive yellow tier, which would allow greater reopening freedoms, as early as next week. David McNew/Getty Images
Disney is currently investigating a data breach involving the leak of internal messages, reportedly orchestrated by a group called Nullbulge, which claims its actions are aimed at protecting rights of artists.
According to statements from the hacking group obtained by BBC, they gained access to extensive communications from Disney employees, downloading what they describe as every possible file.
The leaked information is said to include discussions about upcoming projects within the media and theme park giant.
Nullbulge, known for targeting entities it perceives as detrimental to the creative industry, particularly criticizes Disney's handling of artist contracts and its usage of artificial intelligence (AI), which the group accuses of undermining artistic integrity.
The group characterizes itself as a hacktivist group dedicated to defending artists' rights and advocating for fair compensation in the digital age.
The hackers, who claim to operate from Russia and allege insider assistance in breaching Disney's internal Slack messaging system, have not provided a sample of the stolen data to prove their claims.
This absence of verification leaves open questions regarding the authenticity and scope of the data trove purportedly accessed.
Initial reports of the leak emerged in the gaming press and were subsequently detailed by the Wall Street Journal, which noted that among the leaked material were communications related to advertising campaigns and job candidates dating back to 2019.
While the group claims their actions are driven by ethical reasons, their unauthorized methods of obtaining and sharing private corporate communications bring up concerns regarding both legality and ethics.
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