Media & Journalism
Intercept Signal Tip Line Compromised for Months, Likely by China-Based Actor
Breaking Points
Intercept Tip Line BREACHED Risking Whistleblowers
"somebody went in and claimed the intercepts signal account which I think the intercept.01 um and started messaging and start and also set up a um Twitter account that was they said they were the intercepts kind of investigative intake side. So, this this fake account here, and then this is me reaching out to them, um would underneath a tweet by the White House or Chuck Schumer or Jim Jordan, would say, 'If you have more information on this, reach out to the Intercept at the Intercept.01 signal.'"
Ryan Grim reveals that The Intercept's Signal tip line was hijacked for an extended period after becoming dormant, with an unauthorized party claiming the account and actively soliciting tips from potential sources while impersonating the news organization. The actor, appearing to operate from Hong Kong/Beijing time zone, created fake social media accounts and posed as The Intercept's investigative team under high-profile political posts. The Intercept issued only a minimal security update without warning sources who may have been compromised.
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Breaking Points