Japanese Teen Arrested for Cyberattack Canceling 46,000 Anime Streaming Subscriptions

A 15-year-old high school student residing in Saitama Prefecture near Tokyo was arrested on July 4 on suspicion of carrying out a cyberattack against the anime streaming service Bandai Channel, operated by Bandai Namco Film Works, in 2025.

The teenager allegedly exploited a vulnerability in the company's system by using a program he developed with assistance from the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT. This program was reportedly used to disrupt the service and fraudulently access account information.

According to police reports, on November 4 of the previous year, between 5:00 p.m. and 8:48 p.m., the student sent false information to the company's servers. This action resulted in the unauthorized cancellation of 46,812 subscription accounts.

The cyberattack caused a partial disruption of the company's operations on November 6, prompting the company to consult law enforcement regarding the incident. System repairs continued until the service was fully restored in December.

The student admitted to the charges, explaining his actions by stating, "I started using computers when I was in the fourth grade of elementary school and taught myself everything I know. I happened to gain access to the information, and I held no grudge against the company."