GTA 6 makers turn to X, Google in hunt for Cyberleek
 |
| The Cyberleek mascot. Credit: Cyberleek / Mashable Photo Composite |
Take-Two Interactive Software, the parent company of Grand Theft Auto-maker Rockstar Games, is stepping up its efforts to unmask the anonymous leaker known as Cyberleek, who is still actively sharing GTA 6 leaks online.
On Aug. 21, Take-Two asked the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York to sign subpoenas against Google and X Corp to compel them "to produce the identity of entities or persons believed to be infringing on the copyright of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc."
One of the subpoenas includes a copy of a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request sent to X, which seemingly confirms the leaked gameplay videos posted by Cyberleek are legitimate. While an earlier subpoena filed by Take-Two referenced "stolen content," the latest filing contains even more details.
SEE ALSO:GTA 6 Cyberleek update: Everything leaked so far, what might be next
Take-Two requested that X Corp remove "Images and videos extracted from an unreleased copyrighted work GTA VI," as the takedown request states. In addition, Take-Two also wrote, "The reported post contains unauthorized, leaked gameplay footage from the unreleased game Grand Theft Auto VI. This material reproduces our Client's copyrighted, unreleased game assets and was published and distributed without any authorization from the copyright holder. The content is presented as genuine leaked Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay from Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and its distribution constitutes unauthorized reproduction and public disclosure of our Client's copyrighted work." (Emphasis added by Mashable.)
The action against Google and X Corp follows two similar subpoena requests filed against Microsoft and Discord, as Mashable reported on Friday. It's all part of Take-Two's ongoing efforts to scrub Cyberleek's videos from the web, while also identifying the leaker's digital footprints.
"The DMCA Subpoena is directed to X Corp., the service provider of an account with the username @cyberleek_ar_io. Infringing content was posted via the @cyberleek_ar_io account," the filing states. "This content infringes copyrights held by Take-Two for GRAND THEFT AUTO VI, proprietary software owned by Take-Two. The copyrighted material includes but is not limited to audiovisual content, artwork, images, dialogue, or other creative elements."
Likewise, the subpoena directed to Google states, "This infringing content is believed to be associated with the following online personas: CyberLeeks, Surfer24k, CyberLeek_ar_io."
Cyberleek seems undaunted by Take-Two's investigation, and they recently released more alleged gameplay footage showing a nudist colony, a gas station carjacking, and glimpses of a cutscene.
In fact, Cyberleek has been very busy over the past week, posting new Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay videos, polls, and map images on a daily basis. Scheduled for release on Nov. 19, the game has been in development for over a decade and has been subject to repeated delays, making it one of the most highly anticipated video games of all time. Before the GTA 6 leaks started, Rockstar announced it would finally debut an "extended look" at the game on Netflix on Aug. 27, but Cyberleek has disrupted those promotional plans.
Even as YouTube, X, and Discord remove infringing content, the GTA 6 leaks are still easy to find, and they're spreading widely on social media.
Meanwhile, the subpoenas provide a glimpse into Take-Two and Rockstar's efforts to unmask the leaker.
In the original Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown requests filed on Aug. 21, Take-Two demanded that Microsoft remove infringing material posted on a specific Github repository associated with Cyberleek. That repository was still online Friday, but the URL now produces a 404 error. In its filing against Discord, Take-Two requested information related to specific Discord users and servers.
Take-Two is seeking a wide range of data from Google, X Corp, Microsoft, and Discord. For the accounts associated with Cyberleek, the company is demanding the account ID, server metadata, telemetry records, original message logs, IP access logs, email addresses, phone numbers, connected accounts, registration timestamps, and any device identifiers.
If caught, Cyberleek will almost certainly face criminal charges, though that depends on how they obtained the leaked material and where the leaker is located.
So far, Rockstar Games and Take-Two haven't said anything about the alleged leaks outside of the subpoena requests. Mashable has contacted both companies repeatedly with questions, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.
Topics Gaming Video Games Grand Theft Auto
I find the whole thing hilarious. Dont care one bit about GTA, or Rockstar. But watching them freak out over this is some great entertainment. Even better is the manufactured outrage and coping from the "community" - some of it right here in this comment section. Seriously - this is more entertaining than this game will ever provide.
ReplyDeleteTheyre dripfeeding videodrops for obvious financial gain and I must admit, the game looks nice.
ReplyDeleteI do not care about the morality of it, since I am nothing but a humble consumer. Difference in ethics between financial gains from blackmailing hospitals and indirectly selling leaks from a billion-dollar game made by a megacorporation.
anyone who thinks this is actually a crusade over gamers rights and manifestos is kidding themselves.
ReplyDeletecyberleek is a criminal or group of criminals who are peddling shitcoins, and massively profiting off the use of stolen material, using both game hype and publisher/manufacturer controversey to drag attention to themselves and make more money.
Very true. But also F any company that pays its CEO over 40 million a year over more profit sharing. Cyberleek is a bunch of criminals. That doesn't make Rockstar the Good Guys here. There are no good guys in this story.
DeleteYe this makes sense...at first I was thinking why would anybody promote a game in protest if the developers practices?..because that's what is going on here. I honestly thought the only culprit could be Rockstar pulling a publicity stunt, given how bad the motives line up....then that Bitcoin thing on the side came up lol. There it is, the real motive.
DeleteAnd? This is the american way.
DeleteWith everything else, sit back, enjoy the spectacle, and watch it all burn...
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeletepeddling and rugpulling meme coins for over $200,000 and hosting a bunch of content mirrors on russian domains when that country is de-facto at war with the countries that are considered T2/Rockstars "market"
Deleteyeah, thats some real guerilla marketing.
I think you're taking it a bit too literally regarding the DLC being on the disc. The reality is games like Forza Horizon 6 launched with a bunch of cars in the VIP pack, it does happen regardless of disc
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely nut if they release GTA 6 on PC before GTA 6
ReplyDeleteWolverine build was leaker, about 4 years ago on PC (:
DeleteSo, just another ransom for cash situation then. The 'secret project' will be them running off with their token money.
ReplyDeleteThey learned from the best: Trump
DeleteYou folks find any reason to bring up Trump. You are obsessed with him. It's really unhealthy, find a new hobby my dude.
DeleteIt would help if he wasn't on our screens with every comment he utters, daily.
DeleteThe DLC argument is one that I felt with Diablo 4 and $30 skins. I assume the content of those skins is already in my game install, it seems crazy to pay that much for something I already have. It's kind of like a Tesla that paywalls higher performance within the same vehicle.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the deal with Germans and leaking hotly anticipated sequels?
ReplyDeletePre-ordering a digital game seems so obtuse to me, unless you're getting extras that you really need.
ReplyDeleteim just glad this all but sealed GTA's fate as not being GOTY if it hadnt already
ReplyDeleteLol what 🤣
Deletehahahahahaha oh lamar you're in a treat come november
DeleteI get real flaming carrot vibes from that logo. RIP that game
ReplyDeleteIts alright he uses a vpn
ReplyDeleteA VPN does jack shit against this if goverment involved they can still find you
DeleteGuess you missed the joke
DeleteSudo apt install opsec
DeleteThis is what chrome incognito is for, right?
Delete7 proxies actually
Deletewhen I use multiple VPNs to hide my location but it loops back to my country:
DeleteOver 9,000.
DeleteAh, another man of culture.
DeleteI’ll hope they use one of those good free ones, and not a bad one.
DeleteEverything's alright
DeleteLuckily
DeleteLets just hope he doesn’t end up like the last guy who tried to leak GTA 6 a few years back…
Well
DeleteHe ended up in a mental
Hospital. Because he was mental.
Hacking Rockstar having only Amazon Firestick at disposal in a hotel was crazy
Deletethe hero we need but not the one we deserve
DeleteTrue. But my point is that the last guy who leaked GTA 6 got doxxed prior which made the authorities catch up to him (although it wasn’t because he actually leaked gta 6 it was cuz he apparently got into some beef with other hackers) then he hacked gta 6 inside his cell which sent him to a mental hospital
DeleteYea
Deleteit would be so fucking funny if Leek is actually from Russia thus T2 can do nothing.
ReplyDeleteat this point if you're gonna do stuff like that, just move here lol. WoW private servers, CS RIN, MIG Switch and other piracy projects pretty much prosper because good fucking luck suing someone in a country *you* abandoned.
That's some cyberpunk megacorporation shit. What's next? Are they going to send in the private military?
ReplyDeleteI pray all the Gods that they never find him, he's fighting for us.
ReplyDeleteI just like how shaggy is x in this situation
ReplyDeleteRelease the files
ReplyDeleteI am a gamer. Like LONG time fucking gamer. And I CANNOT tell you how few fucks I give about GTA 6.
ReplyDeleteBut can someone please clear this up for me. Is the game ACTIVELY out there in the wild for the average person to download and play right now or is it just like 6 dudes who grabbed it some how and are just giving rockstar the middle finger al'a "some men just want to see the world burn" style?
if everyone had the game you would see it everywhere...
DeleteWill the democracy bend to corporate interests in the late capitalism? Oh yes, it will. Future actions should me more organized within the strong movement. ✊
ReplyDeleteFingers crossed the guy with enough ability to hack rickstar and leak the game is also smart enough to not give X his real name or other info (like IP address)
ReplyDeleteI just got that the avatar is a LEEK! Omfg I feel stupid
ReplyDeleteThe extended look is just going to be bodycam footage + drone bombs pov
ReplyDeleteEither that or the firing squad
We need a hero to get in and find a way to truly protect peoples info cuz god knows none of these corps are. X, FB, Google, Amazon... They're all in bed together just giving each other all your info like its a fucking TCG.
ReplyDeleteApparently they do be browsing on Reddit as well, because couple of folks joked that they knew the leaker and whatnot, only to have investigators pop up on their door asking for info and such lmao
ReplyDeleteALL THIS OVER A FUCKING VIDEO GAME..... we have pedos running our country and this is what people care about....
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe they are targeting people over animated pixels instead of cybercrime that hurts people… no wonder why discord and roblox are disgusting platforms filled with creeps.
DeleteBut some people will still insist this is just a big marketing stunt
ReplyDeleteI wonder how X and Google would know anything about the leeker in the first place... 🤷🏻
ReplyDeleteGetting all worked up over a game is kinda funny, but also a huge waste of money
ReplyDeleteI just won't pay or play if it hasn't been cracked. I will wait until it has. Then, I still won't pay, just play.
ReplyDeleteI do it not care for GTA 6, it insists upon itself.
ReplyDeleteIt was me, I did it.
ReplyDeleteYeah disgusting witch hunt that will I’m sure lead others accounts into dark places… let the game go and rockstar will pay the piper and all will be done…just pixels ffs
ReplyDeleteThey are all training their AI with our data so they are kinda thieves and criminals themselves, but when shit like this happens.....
ReplyDeleteIt's clear they have not even a single clue on who it is and is going scorched earth on anyone who even sniffed the air near the leaks. And I mean ANYONE
ReplyDeletehaha
ReplyDelete"We need to rise up". By doing what? Posting on Reddit? Get fucken real lmao.
ReplyDeleteBAM did this way harsher for way less to wrecks been
ReplyDeleteAnd in the meantime, the courts are also working hard at exposing a global murdering pedophile ring. Priorities are clear!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could see the same energy for pedophiles.
ReplyDeleteWell the people responsible for catching the pedophiles are the pedophiles
DeleteWait. Does that confirm the leak is legit? Tbh TOS and license agreements hold little water in any common sense court. The prevailing logic in humanity always has been "you buy something, it's yours, taking it back is theft"
ReplyDeleteWe all know the leak is legit from the first video lol.
DeleteI think the leaker is smarter than all of them. If he/she get caught it will be via betrayal not technology
ReplyDeleteWhy isn't this a scandal? Take-Two and Rockstar are currently sending out DMCA requests left and right to track down the leaker, and in the process, they're getting access to the personal data of countless users across platforms like X, Discord, etc.
ReplyDeleteWhy is nobody making a big deal about this?
Because at the end of the day, piracy is illegal. The dude's not Robin Hood. He's committed multiple felonies and did the one thing no one should ever do when stealing from a major developer; put attach it to money. That's why some people get ignored by Nintendo, some get a slap on the wrist, and some are indebted to them for millions of dollars for the rest of their life. Dude got greedy.
DeleteI am totally with you. But there is also data protection/privacy (at least in most countries) and they are shitting on it.
DeleteSomeone blackmailing a company doesn't justify what they are doing now.
They aint catching this mf, are they
ReplyDeleteoh they're chasing him?
ReplyDeleteAre the links to the profiles changing throughout the day?
This isnt fucking hide and seek
Pfft just use AI to find them rockstar
ReplyDeleteI am not proud of it, but I never played GTA in my life. But still: as much as I understand isn’t it a game about normalising illegal activity? So why is the publisher of the game trying to prevent or pursue the exact nature of activities they are kind of promoting with the game? If you ask people to break the law ingame, why should they not break the law irl?
ReplyDeleteBecause video games are not reality.
DeleteSo what you're saying is we should make a bunch of fake cyberleek accounts and OneDrives with GTA6.mp3.exe as the only file in there to screw with them?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure this totally isn't an internal publicity stunt.
ReplyDeleteTheyre requesting over 100,000 users info?!?!
ReplyDeleteHow the fuck can they even do that?
Big money.
DeleteAnyone can request anything, doesn't mean they will get it.
DeleteNothing wrong with demanding info. Used to be that most places would laugh and tell you to kick rocks, but that was before we lived in a surveillance state.
DeleteT2 won't able to find him
ReplyDeleteCorporations need to get comfortable not owning their games
ReplyDeleteBreh, such a first world problem to have. Such a non issue it’s not even funny.
ReplyDeleteDiscord: 'Give us all your personal info - we promise nothing bad will happen; we're super cereal!
ReplyDeleteis it legal that they can get any information on anyone they want?
ReplyDeleteThose subpoenas should NOT have been granted given how broad they were. But alas the world is corrupt as fuck. And now they HAVE to turn over that info or they get into legal trouble.
DeleteLegal? They have the POWER (Money)!
Deletemakes me wonder if the leaker is using some private encrypted email service in a privacy-focused Linux with paid VPN
ReplyDeleteor just using a free one because he thinks he's so smart 😭
It seems they’ve requested Google for information on his actual website cyberleek.ar.io.
ReplyDeleteThe rest seem to be all related to be targeting X accounts who pushed his memecoin
Meanwhile HMO Executives kill many thousands of people a year, but walk free among us without a care in the world.
ReplyDeleteI am Cyberleek
ReplyDeleteI am Cyberleak
Deletelmao companies just casually demanding sensitive private user info from other companies without any law enforcement involved
ReplyDeleteIf I was the dude I would just release it because of that. "oh, you fucking with people's privacy? I'll fuck with your profits."
DeleteYeah at this point, what would he even risk more? They're already going to try to get him on copyright stuff (which is dicey at best), doubt leaking the build make it worse.
Deletethe longer he fucks with them the longer it stays in the news cycle and the more eyes get on the topic. With the way the leaker behaves, its giving hacktivist, so the ultimate goal here is trying to send a message (that will ultimately fall on deaf ears because consumers are gonna consume anyways)
DeleteThose dumbasses don't realize that those are reuploads from people pretending to be him xd
ReplyDeleteWhich makes it worse. They are requesting private information from non suspects which is even more illegal than if it was them.
DeleteGood luck to them. He is using a VPN.
ReplyDeleteFuck Rockstar. I actually hope they push Rockstar to release GTA 6 on physical by threatening to release story spoilers. Probably won't happen but I'm not happy about renting a game on PS5. Shit fucking sucks.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the deal with "renting a game on PS5" thingy? Is it any different from buying it on Steam?
DeleteIf Steam shuts down, My PC is still a PC. If Sony shut down PSN, the PS6 would be a very big, exspensive door stopper.
DeleteYou are correct, they are both licenses. But you're not forced to use Steam, you have GOG too. With the PS6, you will only be able to get games from the PlayStation store.
DeleteWith PC, I have GOG If i want to actually own my game, I can burn that game on a disc.
Steam is similar to Sony but only in terms of their licenses. Steam have a way better refund policy, you can try games and refund them usually if you've played under a few hours, you can't on PS5.
Your library is your library on Steam, so even if a game is delisted but you already purchased it they won't remove it from your library. Sony remove games with expired licenses from your library. Steam just basically have better consumer practices than Sony.
I still don't like steam but in this new digital world it's currently way better than PlayStation.
Most of what makes steam that way is the fact that the CEO of the company IS a gamer too. Unlike anyone in power at Cockstar or Sony.
DeleteAhh ok, gotcha.
DeleteI like Steam alot but I play games only on PC, last PS was a PS2 :)
we wanted a trailer for gta6 but instead they showed us trailer for what they intend to do with digital id
ReplyDeleteDont they at least need court approval to get that data? They should not have authority to request this much data from other companies. Especially across country borders. Also didnt they put the last leaker into a mental asylum?
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what DMCA subpoena is, asking for court permission. There's also two week-ish delay, so anyone on list can object to it.
DeleteSo futile.
ReplyDeleteAt this point, they might wanna try the ol' skul
ReplyDelete"People of the world!! Hand Cyberleek off to us, or we will never release GTA VI"
🤣😅😂😂..
Haha so funny
DeleteHe better not been using windows lest his GDID be tracked
ReplyDeleteProbably was, but GDIDs can be manipulated
DeleteI honestly wonder if this is some kind of guerilla marketing that they are doing. On the otherside this game barely needs extra marketing atp.
ReplyDeleteOf course! Someone computer savvy enough to extract data from an AAA company for sure will give personal data to be tracked on the online account used to make said leak available...
ReplyDeleteI won't be surprised if the trail leads to either somewhere in the Central Asia or a summer house of some Rockstar CEO...
You've got to remember lots of Criminals are Stupid.
DeleteFeels like if he was stupid he would already be caught.
DeleteThe script kiddies are stupid. This guy knows what he's doing.
DeleteI was saying in general criminals are stupid. Even the elite hackers can mess up somewhere down the line and end up getting caught. All it takes is one simple mistake.
DeleteNot as much as corporative ball lickers...
DeleteDon’t think stupid is the answer, even if you use a VPN then your identity is only as secure as your VPN provider protects it, if they keep logs or anything then they know where you connect from.
DeleteSure you could use a VM in someone else’s datacenter but that identity is also only as secure as whoever owns the data center protects it.
At the end of the day - the moment you go on the internet then you’re only as anonymous as your provider determines you should be.
People who have done way more impressive things have been tracked down.
DeleteA country where a pedo president apearing in the epstein files they are investing more time in searching a guy who has filtred a mf game than a rpist of childrens gg america the country of liberty.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it's Take Two and Rockstar Games job to investigate Trump or something?
DeleteWell they all belong to the Epstein class so they could easily sort it out between themselves, but holding each other accountable would be hypocritical
DeleteAh yes of course. All of rockstar is "the Epstein class" adding this one to my redditor moment compilation
DeleteRockstar is owned by take two, take two is owned by the pedo class, you supporting rockstar directly supports the Epstein class, the same group that had stated that people are just idiot sheep and are very easily manipulated as well as investing millions into anti consumer lobbying, funding groups that fight tooth and nail to make sure you have no protections against their practices.
DeleteYou want to support rockstar? Sure. But as long as they're owned by take two you'll always be supporting the Epstein class.
LMAO holy shit bro reason that comment is peak blog, reddit moment. Congrats dude
DeleteIt was always like this, it's just more obvious now. Used to be only conspiracy enthusiasts talked about this stuff.
DeleteI mean take two, google and many MANY more corps including USA senators and EU politicians are part of Peter thiels cult, same guy who was a great buddy of Epstein. Of course they'll do all they want now with trump looking the other way as long as his pockets get deeper.
DeleteI want to know what VPN cyberleek uses 😄
ReplyDeleteThose stress tests in real condition are good to see if VPN are not BS us.
Now? It has been so for days now,why post it again and again?
ReplyDeleteNew to the Internet?
DeleteHave they looked in wallmart? Lots of leeks over there.
ReplyDeleteFeds don't know nothing about him, he uses a VPN!
ReplyDeleteI heard his keyboard is RGB and he listens to techno!
DeleteI hope there not stupid enough to be using Windows. That think is sending data to Microsoft non stop no matter what you do.
ReplyDeleteSpysoft classic
DeleteGood luck finding him, no chance, it’s probably even a group of people
ReplyDeleteAll the anti-lawsuit protections of capitalism are falling apart because of this guy.
ReplyDeleteif they fall apart when they were supposed to apply, they were never there
Deletethey're being exposed as never real thanks to this guy
Indeed! But still it’s shocking that a video game is leading to all this haha
Deleteif you put like that, sure
Deleteif you see it as "the money hoarders, those of the same breed of the ones that have sent coca cola death squads to union bust in colombia in the name of increasing profit, are hunting down someone that threatens their profits tearing down laws in their way" it's very much old news and par for the course
He's just exposing what has already fallen apart
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, it never fell apart. Whatever justice was thought to exist was always an illusion.
Deleteall that but never acknowledge they fucked up with their shitty work practice
ReplyDeletegood thing he doesnt use X or google
ReplyDelete"They'll never take me alive!" --Cyberleek
ReplyDeleteVillains assemble. Big L corporate companies
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteDo you not know what sub you’re in?
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteDeleted it because it sounded like a generic "muh corpo bad" blogger but
DeleteDismissing your employees because they requested fair pay and taking down user generated content just because you can sounds pretty unlawful to me but they get away with it because what can you do against such a big entity.
It’s no different from what they will do to consumers that actually pay for it if said product can be taken away at the drop of their hat. Technically we aren’t buying anything from them now but paying a huge price just for long term rental for the game which there in lies the problem bc they are openly running a scam on consumers bc you don’t have any digital rights for protections for consumers.
DeleteLeave Big L (rip) out of this.
Delete