Nothing kills the excitement of good television quite like a hacker. After eagerly anticipating the release of Netflix’s hit Orange is the New Black for months, our waiting has come to a rather anticlimactic end — that is, if you’re a torrenting fan. A hacker who goes by the name The Dark Overlord claims to have stolen unreleased content from Netflix, ABC, Fox, National Geographic, and the IFC. Apparently, the hacker managed to breach security at Larson Studios, a popular post-production company responsible for a number of hit Hollywood series.
Initially, The Dark Overlord demanded ransom from Netflix for the return (or at least, the continued suspense) of OITNB, but when the streaming service refused to comply, the hacker released the fifth season via an illegal file-sharing link on Twitter.
“Who is next on the list? FOX, IFC, NAT GEO, and ABC. Oh, what fun we’re all going to have,” The Dark Overlord tweeted. “We’re not playing any games anymore.”
Initially, Season 5 of Netflix’s hit series was meant to be released on June 9, and it’s not immediately clear whether this hack will affect the service’s plans. “We are aware of the situation. A production vendor used by several major TV studios had its security compromised and the appropriate law enforcement authorities are involved,” Netflix said in a statement.
The hacker has actually been releasing content since Friday, when it tweeted to Netflix, “Let’s try to be a bit more direct.” A day later, The Dark Overlord posted again, “It didn’t have to be this way, Netflix. You’re going to lose a lot more money in all of this than what our modest offer was,” as it released the remaining nine episodes.
The hacker continued, “We’re quite ashamed to breathe the same air as you. We figured a pragmatic business such as yourselves would see and understand the benefits of cooperating with a reasonable and merciful entity like ourselves.”
This isn’t the first time The Dark Overlord has claimed responsibility for a breach. Last summer, a hacker by the same name claimed to be responsible for hacks of at least three health care companies, as well as an insurance company. We’ll just have to hope the authorities catch this ne’er-do-well’er soon.
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