[News Terms] Discord, the Source of US Classified Document Leak

by Kang Nahum

Published 13 Apr.2023 16:15(KST)

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

'Discord,' identified as the main platform for the leak of documents by U.S. intelligence authorities, is a voice chat program specialized for gaming. It can be understood as a channel where gamers instantly exchange necessary real-time communication through voice messenger. It is widely used when playing games that require communication with other players via microphone during gameplay.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it grew into one of the major online communication platforms. When it was first launched in 2015, it only had chat functions, but it evolved into a gamer community as sharing documents, images, and videos became possible. Various 'servers' (the term for chat rooms or communities within Discord) are operated on topics not only related to games but also cryptocurrency, art, music, and more. Domestic companies also use it extensively at the corporate level; during the height of the COVID-19 crisis, Kakao used Discord as a communication tool for remote work.

Because users can freely create and manage chat rooms, censorship is lax. When specific game communities such as Minecraft, League of Legends, and Fortnite are formed, countless chat rooms for discussions, game strategies, and conversations while playing together are created under them, and users can move between multiple chat rooms.

The Washington Post (WP) reported that it interviewed two members of the Discord chat room 'Thug Shaker Central,' identified as the initial source of the confidential documents, revealing that the 'leader' with the nickname 'OG' began posting confidential documents in the chat room since last year.

More than 100 images of problematic documents marked 'Secret' or 'Top Secret' were uploaded on Discord from late February to early March, but the U.S. Department of Defense and others reportedly remained unaware for over a month.

Discord stated that it is currently cooperating with U.S. authorities to prevent the spread of the leaked documents. In an unofficial statement, Discord said, "We are taking necessary measures such as blocking user accounts, shutting down servers, and cooperating with law enforcement agencies."