Data Breach Scandal: Boost for Cybersecurity & Privacy Solutions

Origin Reddit Post

r/technology

A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples’ Computers to Debt Collectors

Posted by u/chrisdh79•07/21/2025

Top Comments

u/SelectivelyGood

In the case of this article, it is free with an email sign up. But if someone doesn't want to sign up, I link to the right place to go read it for free. 404 media is really something special

u/Jarnagua

Thats a hot take.

u/MC68328

The point is *it's not a paywall*. An actual paywall wouldn't be sketch.

u/KennyGolladaysMom

I’ve got news for you about your medical information. The provider is considered the co-originator of that data, and as such has rights to sell it as long as your personal information is not

u/loganwachter

It probably isn’t. But the CFPB was gutted and that’s who regulates debt collectors. It’s essentially the Wild West now that the [FDCPA](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection

u/el0_0le

If you want to do mental gymnastics, go to the library, armchair logical fallacy philosopher guy. Yes. Things good for people, are typically bad for business, which results in a lower GDP.

u/RamenJunkie

Lots of places to stellar work but the majoroty of the population is broke AF right now.

u/Akuuntus

Because laws are fake and only exist if someone is willing and able to enforce them.

u/odin_the_wiggler

The word "startup" is doing some pretty fucking heavy lifting here.

u/StonyardBurner

We won't pay taxes to send good kids to college so they can better themselves. We will pay taxes to house, feed, and clothe people who commit crimes. We suck.

u/YoshiTheDog420

These are the people we need to find and make feel scared to ever show their faces in public again.

u/Traditional-Hat-952

Parasites, the lot of them.

u/LighttBrite

It is literally illegal. They are doing exactly what black hats do when they sell the data, just to a different costumer. It is 100% illegal.

u/BlackmailedWhiteMale

They could theoretically redirect some types of payments received, find hidden accounts, cryptocurrency, or assets in general.

u/AlanShore60607

I can imagine scammers doing that, those “collecting” on fictional debts, but not legit debt collectors.

u/SightlessIrish

In what little of the article is viewable without signing up, it mentions that multiple people thought it's probably illegal. It probably is illegal

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/Prior_Coyote_4376

We should have a law that forces companies to get permission from their users for each third-party sale of data.

u/triscuitsrule

Welcome to the Gilded Age under the Trump Regime where this kind of activity is not only permissible, but encouraged.

u/odin_the_wiggler

The word "startup" is doing some pretty fucking heavy lifting here.

u/duxpdx

I’d think it closer to buying stolen property.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/SelectivelyGood

The article is on [Archive.Today](http://Archive.Today), but I have a paid subscription to 404 - they do very good work.

u/skwyckl

It is definitely illegal, if not, the whole justice system is a sham.

u/Xaielao

This is America, where companies are legally people. So the people who run the company aren't libel for the corporations illegal actions. And since you can't send a company to prison.. Well

u/el0_0le

So does trillions in spending for billionaires while squeezing out middle and lower class families. What's your point, Jamie Dimon? We're in a recession right now, underreported, and worse th

u/bigalcapone22

So it should be fine for someone to resell stolen goods online as long as they were not the ones who stole it in the first place.

u/SomeGuyNamedPaul

This sounds like possession of stolen goods.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/el0_0le

It has already been through the Senate multiple times, and repeatedly killed, along with Net Neutrality. Boomer gotta go. We need to elect our own, locally, statewide, and in every public sea

u/SelectivelyGood

How is this even legal? How are these people not in jail right now?

u/Xu-Wu

I regularly follow 404 Media through their podcast and they've said before that they have the email address wall to stop AI bot scrapers from scraping their entire site and free articles they

u/Prior_Coyote_4376

Personal data as a human right sounds awesome as a concept. I like this.

u/Valuable-Customer666

Middle Man Money... Like debt collection agencies couldn't just hire hackers... O wait... I bet

u/SelectivelyGood

How is this even legal? How are these people not in jail right now?

u/YoshiTheDog420

These are the people we need to find and make feel scared to ever show their faces in public again.

u/SomeGuyNamedPaul

This sounds like possession of stolen goods.

u/TwistingEcho

I'd Download a property..

u/dokkababecallme

It seems that no matter what the issue at hand is, you cannot convince people to stop sending the same captured, corrupt, old ass idiots to congress. Sure, every now and then you get an AOC

u/Festering-Fecal

We don't have privacy laws and thus current administration has shown the rule of law is dead.

u/Sprugen

You should work for free too.. if you even have a job

u/SelectivelyGood

In the case of this article, it is free with an email sign up. But if someone doesn't want to sign up, I link to the right place to go read it for free. 404 media is really something special

u/Traditional-Hat-952

Parasites, the lot of them.

u/Xaielao

This is America, where companies are legally people. So the people who run the company aren't libel for the corporations illegal actions. And since you can't send a company to prison.. Well

u/citizenjones

Personal debt equals less privacy and protections!? Is that what capitalism wants?

u/Catodacat

America's government doesn't care about people, just corporations.

u/thebudman_420

Legally it's equivalent to paying hitmen to do your dirty work. Their hand is involved. They are also paying for what they know is stolen property. And i want 100 million for my stolen prop

u/SightlessIrish

In what little of the article is viewable without signing up, it mentions that multiple people thought it's probably illegal. It probably is illegal

u/MC68328

I'm paying for ProPublica and Wired because they stand up to the fascists (and PBS because they're victimized by them), but I'll never give 404 Media a dime because of that stupid login wall.

u/Akuuntus

Because laws are fake and only exist if someone is willing and able to enforce them.

u/CoffeeBaron

I remember something similar in the book Who Controls the Future?, a book from 2013 (right at the beginning of crypto), that proposes some sort of microtransaction every time data you generat

u/bhillen8783

Leeches feeding leeches

u/MC68328

I'm paying for ProPublica and Wired because they stand up to the fascists (and PBS because they're victimized by them), but I'll never give 404 Media a dime because of that stupid login wall.

u/SelectivelyGood

This is a fun kind of corporation. More of a criminal enterprise. A lot of that happening lately - a lot of the 'Residential proxy providers' that used to be explicit about being 'for carders

u/Duck_Soup_Marx

Sweet we can now arrest debt collectors using the service for receiving stolen goods.

u/bhillen8783

Leeches feeding leeches

u/Specific-Frosting730

Debt collectors are the scum of the earth. Especially medical debt collectors.

u/Kahnza

I'm on the *fence* about that

u/nerdypeachbabe

I also subscribe to 404 media. As a cybersecurity pro they’re the ONLY news source I’m happy to pay for. I agree with everything you said about them

u/el0_0le

We should have a law that identifies personal data as a human right, giving full ownership to the individual, whereby any interested buyer pays the individual. All data sharing should be trea

u/Sprugen

You should work for free too.. if you even have a job

u/SelectivelyGood

They used to have an actual paywall. The current strategy is to give people a few articles for free with an email, and then present with a paywall. Some articles are entirely paywalled. Some

u/bigalcapone22

So it should be fine for someone to resell stolen goods online as long as they were not the ones who stole it in the first place.

u/el0_0le

We should have a law that identifies personal data as a human right, giving full ownership to the individual, whereby any interested buyer pays the individual. All data sharing should be trea

u/el0_0le

I knew there would be at least 1 person who clinged onto the absolutist statement. I'm done arguing for "businesses know best," bud. That ship sailed. Pay the individual. Put money into the

u/el0_0le

I knew there would be at least 1 person who clinged onto the absolutist statement. I'm done arguing for "businesses know best," bud. That ship sailed. Pay the individual. Put money into the

u/sinnur

If this happens and you thought hacking was bad before just wait till they figure out they have a legit resell opportunity. Hacking will increase 10X what it is now.

u/coconutpiecrust

Wow. How innovative and entrepreneurial of them. Truly groundbreaking, pushing the boundaries of human ability and knowledge. I am sad “basket of deplorables” never quite caught on. It was

u/Festering-Fecal

We don't have privacy laws and thus current administration has shown the rule of law is dead.

u/squakmix

Then you're the problem

u/Arrow156

Why aren't people selling personal data of the sleezeballs who sell peoples personal data? Gotta be a couple hacktivists still out there who want to see these people suffer.

u/triscuitsrule

Welcome to the Gilded Age under the Trump Regime where this kind of activity is not only permissible, but encouraged.

u/SelectivelyGood

That's exactly what they are doing. There is no paywall on every article. There is no adblock blocker.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/drunkerbrawler

Absolutely, they would bring back debtors prisons if they could.

u/ymcameron

Man I bet you can make so much money if you have a modicum of talent and a complete lack of morals.

u/el0_0le

If you want to do mental gymnastics, go to the library, armchair logical fallacy philosopher guy. Yes. Things good for people, are typically bad for business, which results in a lower GDP.

u/AlanShore60607

Maybe we’re seeing Season 3 of The Rehearsal play out in real time?

u/MC68328

The point is *it's not a paywall*. An actual paywall wouldn't be sketch.

u/SelectivelyGood

Sorry that paywalls offend you like that. 404 Media is a tiny, tiny company. They are trying to convert people into subscribers. They don't email advertising but do send out a newsletter. :

u/Specific-Frosting730

Debt collectors are the scum of the earth. Especially medical debt collectors.

u/AlanShore60607

Legality aside, I don’t see much value to this. Debt collectors already have your SSN and basic info; not sure what they think they’re doing here. I mean … maybe if there’s a judgement and

u/AlanShore60607

I can imagine scammers doing that, those “collecting” on fictional debts, but not legit debt collectors.

u/Gustave_the_Steel

Sounds like a great way to launch multiple lawsuits against debt collectors. Especially those you've never given consent to or have no business doing with.

u/Prior_Coyote_4376

We should have a law that forces companies to get permission from their users for each third-party sale of data.

u/Prior_Coyote_4376

Personal data as a human right sounds awesome as a concept. I like this.

u/Dihedralman

I 100% agree. And furthermore data use should carry the assumption of royalties. Even how someone does a job for a company should be protected in the era of AI.

u/SelectivelyGood

That's exactly what they are doing. There is no paywall on every article. There is no adblock blocker.

u/citizenjones

Personal debt equals less privacy and protections!? Is that what capitalism wants?

u/FanDry5374

Well...for *some* people.

u/justanaccountimade1

The reason a quarter of the world's prison population is in the US, is because in the US you can squeeze $50k/yr out of people who are labeled "lost to the economy" by putting them in jail.

u/Tim-Sylvester

Providing direct aid to needy people is "socialism" and we can't afford it, but throwing those needy people in prison and giving $300k per person per year to a wealthy corporation makes perfe

u/el0_0le

^ This. "Don't vote incumbent." 📌🔨

u/el0_0le

It has already been through the Senate multiple times, and repeatedly killed, along with Net Neutrality. Boomer gotta go. We need to elect our own, locally, statewide, and in every public sea

u/citizenjones

Personal debt equals less privacy and protections!? Is that what capitalism wants?

u/RamenJunkie

Lots of places to stellar work but the majoroty of the population is broke AF right now.

u/el0_0le

America is corrupt from top to bottom, I'm aware. You're also likely to be groped by medical students under surgery. Doesn't stop people from getting surgery. Talking about these issues is

u/AlanShore60607

Maybe we’re seeing Season 3 of The Rehearsal play out in real time?

u/Tim-Sylvester

Providing direct aid to needy people is "socialism" and we can't afford it, but throwing those needy people in prison and giving $300k per person per year to a wealthy corporation makes perfe

u/SelectivelyGood

The article is on [Archive.Today](http://Archive.Today), but I have a paid subscription to 404 - they do very good work.

u/SelectivelyGood

This is a fun kind of corporation. More of a criminal enterprise. A lot of that happening lately - a lot of the 'Residential proxy providers' that used to be explicit about being 'for carders

u/bhillen8783

Leeches feeding leeches

u/GizMoeGreenberg

They are probably operating in some backwards shithole with no laws like the USA.

u/ApprehensiveSpeechs

Honestly, I see the potential loophole based on what information they provide -- I'm just not going to post it completely on Reddit. Companies are permitted to give certain records to contr

u/SiWeyNoWay

And I’m sure an EO was issues protecting the hackers against us

u/Festering-Fecal

We don't have privacy laws and thus current administration has shown the rule of law is dead.

u/KennyGolladaysMom

I’ve got news for you about your medical information. The provider is considered the co-originator of that data, and as such has rights to sell it as long as your personal information is not

u/Abadazed

The only thing I can actually imagine them doing is holding your personal accounts like social media accounts hostage, and demanding repayment of debts.

u/Arrow156

Why aren't people selling personal data of the sleezeballs who sell peoples personal data? Gotta be a couple hacktivists still out there who want to see these people suffer.

u/rodentmaster

You're so close... You almost get it...

u/drunkerbrawler

Absolutely, they would bring back debtors prisons if they could.

u/Dihedralman

I 100% agree. And furthermore data use should carry the assumption of royalties. Even how someone does a job for a company should be protected in the era of AI.

u/bigalcapone22

So it should be fine for someone to resell stolen goods online as long as they were not the ones who stole it in the first place.

u/squakmix

Then you're the problem

u/Jarnagua

Thats a hot take.

u/drunkerbrawler

Absolutely, they would bring back debtors prisons if they could.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/loganwachter

It probably isn’t. But the CFPB was gutted and that’s who regulates debt collectors. It’s essentially the Wild West now that the [FDCPA](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Debt_Collection

u/justanaccountimade1

The reason a quarter of the world's prison population is in the US, is because in the US you can squeeze $50k/yr out of people who are labeled "lost to the economy" by putting them in jail.

u/sinnur

If this happens and you thought hacking was bad before just wait till they figure out they have a legit resell opportunity. Hacking will increase 10X what it is now.

u/UAreTheHippopotamus

Yup, the fox is in the henhouse. They've directed the FBI to not focus on white collar fraud investigations too. Not to mention the audacity to run crypto scams from within the White House.

u/SiWeyNoWay

And I’m sure an EO was issues protecting the hackers against us

u/SelectivelyGood

The article is on [Archive.Today](http://Archive.Today), but I have a paid subscription to 404 - they do very good work.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/SelectivelyGood

How is this even legal? How are these people not in jail right now?

u/AlanShore60607

Legality aside, I don’t see much value to this. Debt collectors already have your SSN and basic info; not sure what they think they’re doing here. I mean … maybe if there’s a judgement and

u/StonyardBurner

We won't pay taxes to send good kids to college so they can better themselves. We will pay taxes to house, feed, and clothe people who commit crimes. We suck.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/vlatheimpaler

This sounds like a business idea pitched by Nathan Fielder.

u/TwistingEcho

I'd Download a property..

u/el0_0le

So does trillions in spending for billionaires while squeezing out middle and lower class families. What's your point, Jamie Dimon? We're in a recession right now, underreported, and worse th

u/FanDry5374

Well...for *some* people.

u/Prior_Coyote_4376

We should have a law that forces companies to get permission from their users for each third-party sale of data.

u/CoffeeBaron

I remember something similar in the book Who Controls the Future?, a book from 2013 (right at the beginning of crypto), that proposes some sort of microtransaction every time data you generat

u/m0ezart

Maybe we should not refer to newly formed organized crime gangs as startups.

u/Catodacat

America's government doesn't care about people, just corporations.

u/Kahnza

I'm on the *fence* about that

u/el0_0le

^ This. "Don't vote incumbent." 📌🔨

u/play3rtwo

Lmao Coffeezilla is right... Crime is legal now

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/fullmetaljackass

> however you've yet to clearly formulate any sort of response instead of generic platitudes. You're expecting an awful lot from /r/technology.

u/skwyckl

It is definitely illegal, if not, the whole justice system is a sham.

u/fullmetaljackass

> however you've yet to clearly formulate any sort of response instead of generic platitudes. You're expecting an awful lot from /r/technology.

u/UAreTheHippopotamus

Yup, the fox is in the henhouse. They've directed the FBI to not focus on white collar fraud investigations too. Not to mention the audacity to run crypto scams from within the White House.

u/LighttBrite

It is literally illegal. They are doing exactly what black hats do when they sell the data, just to a different costumer. It is 100% illegal.

u/vlatheimpaler

This sounds like a business idea pitched by Nathan Fielder.

u/el0_0le

America is corrupt from top to bottom, I'm aware. You're also likely to be groped by medical students under surgery. Doesn't stop people from getting surgery. Talking about these issues is

u/SelectivelyGood

Sorry that paywalls offend you like that. 404 Media is a tiny, tiny company. They are trying to convert people into subscribers. They don't email advertising but do send out a newsletter. :

u/SightlessIrish

In what little of the article is viewable without signing up, it mentions that multiple people thought it's probably illegal. It probably is illegal

u/Duck_Soup_Marx

Sweet we can now arrest debt collectors using the service for receiving stolen goods.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/ApprehensiveSpeechs

Honestly, I see the potential loophole based on what information they provide -- I'm just not going to post it completely on Reddit. Companies are permitted to give certain records to contr

u/coconutpiecrust

Wow. How innovative and entrepreneurial of them. Truly groundbreaking, pushing the boundaries of human ability and knowledge. I am sad “basket of deplorables” never quite caught on. It was

u/Xu-Wu

I regularly follow 404 Media through their podcast and they've said before that they have the email address wall to stop AI bot scrapers from scraping their entire site and free articles they

u/Gustave_the_Steel

Sounds like a great way to launch multiple lawsuits against debt collectors. Especially those you've never given consent to or have no business doing with.

u/GizMoeGreenberg

They are probably operating in some backwards shithole with no laws like the USA.

u/thebudman_420

Legally it's equivalent to paying hitmen to do your dirty work. Their hand is involved. They are also paying for what they know is stolen property. And i want 100 million for my stolen prop

u/Nknights23

That’s adorable. Still not paying to read a news article

u/dokkababecallme

It seems that no matter what the issue at hand is, you cannot convince people to stop sending the same captured, corrupt, old ass idiots to congress. Sure, every now and then you get an AOC

u/duxpdx

I’d think it closer to buying stolen property.

u/SelectivelyGood

They used to have an actual paywall. The current strategy is to give people a few articles for free with an email, and then present with a paywall. Some articles are entirely paywalled. Some

u/Abadazed

The only thing I can actually imagine them doing is holding your personal accounts like social media accounts hostage, and demanding repayment of debts.

u/[deleted]

[deleted]

u/ymcameron

Man I bet you can make so much money if you have a modicum of talent and a complete lack of morals.

Origin Reddit Post

r/technology

A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples’ Computers to Debt Collectors

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