Discord is a versatile real-time communication platform originally created for gaming communities but has evolved into a comprehensive tool for startups, businesses, and online communities. It supports text, voice, and video channels and allows users to create or join servers that are tailored to specific topics or interests. With over 200 million users as of December 2018, it boasts a wide range of features such as role management and media sharing. Discord has become notable for its flexibility in organizing discussions through channel permissions and roles, which simplifies managing large user groups. It also supports various third-party integrations and automation through its open API, making it a popular choice for developer collaboration and community building. Despite its popularity and utility, in October 2025 Discord faced a significant data breach involving its partner @Zendesk, affecting approximately 70,000 users with sensitive information being compromised by a cybercrime group known as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters. While thinking about the recent data breach, I'm concerned about the storage practices of sensitive data such as government-ID images. Why were these images stored without encryption? It seems Discord's choice to use a generic ticketing platform not designed to handle sensitive personal information led to this vulnerability. It underscores the necessity for companies to ensure all third

Contexts

• #discord (this is the @Root Memo)