Hackers reportedly left some University of California, Irvine students and instructors vomiting and crying after they posted gory videos of human and animal mutilation to student-run groups on a social media platform.
According to the Orange County Register, the gory videos left the university community spiraling on January 9, with some students reportedly needing to be hospitalized after the incident.
Alina Kim, who helped coordinate the response to the hack by the student-run Discord group, told the Register that “some things I've seen I definitely can't unsee.”
“Some individuals were hospitalized with vomiting, panic attacks and traumatic responses,” he said. “This is something that has real psychological effects.”
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Students and supporters from across the UC system, including UC Irvine, rallied to support undocumented students in the University of California system. (Jay L. Clendenin/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
An Apple iPhone 11 smartphone with the Discord software application logo on the screen, taken on January 27, 2020. (Phil Barker/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Around 3,000 people were reportedly exposed to graphic materials while on the Discord website before moderators blocked the hackers' access.
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Discord is a social media platform where users can make voice calls, video calls, and instant messages with each other.
Students and faculty travel around the University of California-Irvine campus in Irvine on Thursday, May 11, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kim told the local media that the hackers have been identified, but their identity is being kept hidden because they appear to be seeking publicity.
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He said the attackers demanded a $1,000 ransom to prevent them from publishing the videos for another month.
UC Irvine did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
