Discord Shuts Down Data-Scraping Platform Monitoring and Spying on Users
Third-Party Discord Surveillance Tool Dismantled, Admin Vows Revival
A third-party tool known as SpyPet, which tracked millions of Discord users across servers, has been taken down for violating Discord's terms of service. The takedown comes after a report revealed the tool's ability to scrape Discord servers and compile detailed logs of user messages.
Discord Takes Action
On Monday, Discord confirmed that SpyPet's website was no longer accessible. A spokesperson for the platform told The Register, "Scraping our services and self-botting are violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines. In addition to banning affiliated accounts, we are considering appropriate legal action." The spokesperson further stated that Discord had identified and banned accounts associated with SpyPet.
SpyPet Vows to Return
Despite the takedown, SpyPet's administrator intends to relaunch the service on a backup site. The original report, published on April 17th, detailed SpyPet's ability to track millions of users and billions of messages across thousands of Discord servers. The service reportedly offered its functionality for a starting price of around $5 worth of cryptocurrency.
Privacy Concerns Raised
SpyPet's existence raises significant concerns about user privacy and safety on Discord. The platform historically allowed a proliferation of bots and third-party tools, some of which could potentially be misused. Scraping tools like SpyPet violate Discord's terms of service and can be exploited for stalking, bullying, or other malicious purposes.
Discord Committed to User Safety
A Discord spokesperson reaffirmed the platform's commitment to user privacy in a statement to PCMag. The spokesperson said, "We are currently investigating this matter. If we determine that violations of our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines have occurred, we will take appropriate steps to enforce our policies." Discord's latest Transparency Report highlights the prevalence of bullying and harassment on the platform, with over 56,000 reports submitted between April and June 2023 alone.
The takedown of SpyPet demonstrates Discord's willingness to address tools that compromise user safety. However, the administrator's vow to relaunch the service underlines the ongoing challenges in maintaining user privacy on online platforms.