Ariana Grande granted permission to subpoena platforms to identify hackers

A Los Angeles judge has granted Ariana Grande permission to issue expedited subpoenas to third-party internet platforms and payment services to identify anonymous hackers. The ruling, issued by Judge Mark H. Epstein, waives the standard waiting period because the singer cannot formally notify defendants whose identities remain unknown.

Grande filed a lawsuit in July against several unidentified individuals, alleging a long-running cyberattack campaign. The complaint claims hackers used phishing and other methods to access the digital accounts of photographers and producers close to the singer. This resulted in the theft and subsequent sale of unreleased music, session footage, and private photos on the dark web.

According to court filings, the scale of the theft is significant; in 2023 alone, 45 unreleased songs were allegedly leaked. The legal team aims to use records from platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as well as payment services like PayPal and Cash App, to unmask the perpetrators and prevent further loss of intellectual property.