Japanese Teen Arrested Over Alleged Cyberattack That Cancelled More Than 46,000 Anime Streaming Accounts

Japanese authorities have arrested a 15-year-old high school student over his alleged involvement in a cyberattack that disrupted the operations of Bandai Namco Filmworks’s Bandai Channel streaming service and led to the cancellation of more than 46,000 user accounts.

According to reports citing the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the teenager is being investigated for alleged fraudulent obstruction of business after reportedly exploiting a vulnerability in the anime streaming platform in November 2025.

Investigators allege the student used ChatGPT to help write software that automated unauthorised access to customer accounts. During questioning, he reportedly told investigators that he wrote the original source code himself before using ChatGPT to complete it in another programming language to improve its performance.

Police claim the suspect sent unauthorised commands to Bandai Channel’s servers on November 4, 2025, triggering the cancellation of 46,812 user subscriptions. The incident disrupted the streaming service from November 6, with normal operations only restored the following month after extensive system repairs.

Authorities believe the teenager discovered and exploited a security weakness in the platform to access user account information. They also allege that after the company blocked his access, he repeatedly changed his IP address – approximately 30 times – to continue sending malicious requests to the service.

The suspect, who was a junior high school student at the time of the alleged offence, had previously been arrested in June this year in connection with separate computer-related offences. Reports indicate he began learning computer programming independently while still in elementary school.

During police interviews, the teenager reportedly admitted carrying out the attack, saying he had no personal grievance against the company. Instead, he allegedly told investigators he targeted the platform because it contained numerous accounts that could be accessed.

Following the breach, Bandai Namco Filmworks notified affected customers and advised them to remain vigilant against phishing attempts and fraudulent emails. Users whose subscriptions had been cancelled were instructed to re-register, while the company also announced refunds for subscription fees charged during the service disruption.

The company said there is currently no evidence that customer data obtained during the incident has been leaked publicly or misused. It added that it is strengthening its security measures and conducting regular reviews to help prevent similar incidents in the future.