Nintendo Is Taking Various Measures To Prevent Insider Leaks

Nintendo is currently taking various measures in order to prevent insiders from sharing leaks on social media platforms like YouTube.

During a Q&A session at Nintendo’s general shareholders meeting, one attendee brought up the matter of information security, pointing at Kadokawa recently getting attacked and being unable to broadcast Nintendo Direct on Niconico Live Broadcasting. They also referred to news of an insider leaking information on YouTube. In their question, they asked Nintendo about the kind of investments it is making and the kind of measures it has in place to prevent such information leaks.

In its response, Nintendo stated that it is aware of the specific issues pointed out through media reports and other sources. The console maker mentioned that it is currently working with specialist companies in order to diagnose information security and take various other measures. The company has introduced information security management as part of its internal information security system, and is also working on continuous education for employees.

404 Media had recently obtained a copy of an internal Google database that tracked six years worth of potential privacy and security issues, revealing that the company often mishandled significant amounts of sensitive personal data. Among this security breach were leaks related to announcements that were to be made by Nintendo via YouTube.

As per the report, a Google employee had accessed private videos from Nintendo’s YouTube account, and leaked their details ahead of the console maker’s planned announcements. A subsequent internal interview had classified the leaks as “non-intentional”. According to 404 Media, it obtained this data from an anonymous individual who did not provide their real name or identity. Google confirmed aspects of the content found in the database.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ahmed, Director of Research and Insights at Niko Partners, had also mentioned hearing similar details regarding other leaks that have happened in the game industry. According to him, illegal access to private YouTube videos is how a number of insiders operate even today.