Supreme Court of India's YouTube Channel Hacked, Displays XRP Cryptocurrency Promotions

The official YouTube channel of the Supreme Court of India seems to have been hacked, with videos now appearing that promote XRP, a cryptocurrency developed by the US-based company Ripple Labs.  The Supreme Court has been using YouTube to live stream hearings of cases presented before Constitution Benches, as well as matters of public interest. Recently, the platform was used to broadcast the hearings of the suo motu case related to the rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Supreme Court of India's YouTube channel appears to be hacked and is currently showing videos of US-based company Ripple. pic.twitter.com/zuIMQ5GTFZ

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2024

The Supreme Court's YouTube channel had recently streamed the sensitive suo motu case regarding the rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. However, in a troubling development, viewers searching for past hearing recordings discovered that all previous videos had been set to private by the hackers. Instead of the usual legal content, a live video titled “Brad Garlinghouse: Ripple Responds To The SEC’s $2 Billion Fine! XRP PRICE PREDICTION” was being broadcasted.

This incident highlights a recurring issue on YouTube, where high-profile channels are frequently targeted by scammers. Ripple Labs had earlier sued YouTube for not preventing impostors from impersonating its CEO, Brad Garlinghouse. According to The Verge, these scammers exploit the platform by taking over popular YouTuber channels with large followings, using them to promote fraudulent schemes that promise lucrative XRP rewards in exchange for initial financial contributions.