Japanese authorities have arrested a 15-year-old high school student following a cyberattack on Bandai Channel, a prominent anime streaming platform operated by Bandai Namco. The incident, which took place in late 2025, resulted in the unauthorized cancellation of tens of thousands of user accounts and highlighted growing concerns regarding digital infrastructure vulnerabilities within the anime streaming ecosystem.
According to reports from Mainichi, the teenage suspect from Saitama Prefecture was taken into custody on July 4. Investigators allege that the student discovered a security flaw in the streaming service, utilized it to harvest account details, and subsequently launched a server attack using custom code partly formulated with assistance from ChatGPT.
The November 2025 Incident
The cyberattack occurred on November 4, 2025, when massive amounts of false data were transmitted to Bandai Channel servers. The multi-hour assault forced widespread disruptions and led to the unauthorized termination of 46,812 user subscriptions. Although platform issues persisted through November, full system functionality was restored following emergency repairs completed in December.
During police interrogation, the teenager reportedly confessed to the charges. “I started using computers when I was in the fourth grade and taught myself everything I know,” he stated to investigators, adding that he had no personal grievance against the corporate entity.
Prior to his July arrest, law enforcement had previously detained the student on June 13 on separate charges of unauthorized access, suspecting he utilized credentials from 15 compromised user accounts.
