Privileged access to YouTube linked to massive leaks

One incident, as Henderson noted, occurred in 2022 when KSI attempted to give away more than $10,000 in Amazon gift cards. However, KSI later realized that all gift card codes had been used before the video was posted, triggering an internal investigation into YouTube. The company reportedly opened a similar investigation after the release of the trailer for GTA VI leak, but we don’t know if it’s related.

This all ties back to what appears to be an ongoing problem at Google. Monday, 404 Media published reports based on records from Google’s internal database, and revealed that a Google contractor was behind the 2017 Nintendo leak that offered a first look at Yoshi’s Crafted World.

At the time, a Reddit user shared an image of the trailer just before its reveal at E3. The image contained an URL “admin.youtube.com” in the address bar, suggesting that an employee had accessed the private version of the video.

Google has confirmed that an employee accessed information contained in a database entry viewed by 404 Media. “A Google employee deliberately leaked private information about Nintendo,” the entry states. “A former TVC (Temporary Supplier Contractor) uploaded a video with an administrator account and shared an unreleased Nintendo feature with a friend.” The entry also reportedly stated that the incident was “unintentional.”

In a statement to The edgeGoogle spokesperson Matt Bryant says every flag flagged by 404 Media “has been reviewed and resolved at this time.” However, the company did not say what it was doing to prevent employees from accessing and disclosing the content sooner.