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Discord Chat Messages Monitoring
Discord chat messages, despite their seemingly fleeting nature, are now being monitored and compiled for extensive tracking purposes, encompassing a vast user base across numerous servers. Recent reports have shed light on Spy Pet, a service that claims to possess a database containing over 3 billion Discord messages. This service offers customers the opportunity to purchase data “credits” using popular cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum. By utilizing these credits, individuals can access detailed information on more than 600 million users across a network of 14,000 servers.
Comprehensive Tracking Capabilities
According to Joseph Cox at 404 Media, Spy Pet provides users with the ability to track individual users across various servers, presenting a comprehensive list of their messages, connected accounts such as GitHub, and associated server memberships. This service also includes detailed information on the servers being monitored and indicates an extensive database of over 86,000 servers that lack automated bots, highlighting the scale of its operations.
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An example of Spy Pet’s service from its website, showcasing a user’s nicknames, connected accounts, banner image, server memberships, and tracked messages.
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Detailed statistics on servers, users, and messages reportedly logged by Spy Pet, underscoring the breadth of its data collection.
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An image exemplifying the publicly available data gathered by Spy Pet, focused on a server for the game Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor.
Privacy Concerns and Implications
While Discord typically safeguards the privacy of messages within server channels, Spy Pet’s data collection practices raise significant privacy concerns among users. Discord users may be unaware of the extent to which their interactions, memberships, and activity are being compiled, packaged, and potentially sold to external entities. Notably, Spy Pet does not disclose details about monitoring private messages, which are presumed to be secure for now.
Spy Pet openly invites AI model developers and even references “federal agents seeking new intel” to engage with the service for specialized arrangements. The service’s ability to identify and track users across various servers highlights the potential risks posed by such extensive data gathering practices.
User Experience and Data Visibility
Upon exploring Spy Pet’s offerings firsthand, it was discovered that a multitude of public Discords were listed within the service, illustrating the extensive reach of its data scraping capabilities. While users who have not purchased message access may only view surface-level content like stickers, emojis, and member counts, the service’s breadth of information serves as a cautionary reminder of the implications of data transparency and privacy.
Response and Accountability
Following these revelations, inquiries have been made to Spy Pet for comments on their operations, and Discord has initiated an investigation to determine if Spy Pet’s activities violate platform terms and community standards. Discord has pledged to uphold its policies and take necessary actions to ensure compliance, underscoring the importance of data protection and user privacy in online communications.
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