Security News > 2020 > May > Hacker Behind 'Doxxing' of German Politicians Charged
German prosecutors said Tuesday they had brought charges against a 22-year-old hacker who released personal data of dozens of politicians, journalists and other public figures online, embarrassing national authorities.
The German man - arrested in January last year - is accused of multiple computer crimes, as well as making false reports to the police and attempted blackmail.
Police at the time of his arrest said he had confessed to stealing and leaking online private data - so-called "Doxxing" - from hundreds of politicians and public figures, among them Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Tuesday's charges cover 73 cases where the accused acquired "Personal data, especially telephone numbers, addresses, credit card data, photos and communications" belonging to his targets.
Further charges include a blackmail attempt against six German MPs, in which the hacker demanded Bitcoin payments worth around 900 euros in exchange for withholding their personal data.