INVESTIGATINGMedia & PropagandaDocumented evidence that News Corp hired hackers to crack OnDigital's pay TV encryption, pirating their signal and directly causing the competitor's bankruptcy. Murdoch's empire destroyed competition through cybercrime.
“Documented evidence that News Corp hired hackers to crack OnDigital's pay TV encryption, pirating their signal and directly causing the competitor's bankruptcy. Murdoch's empire destroyed competition through cybercrime.”
News Corp — Rupert Murdoch's media empire — hired hackers to crack the encryption on rival pay TV platform OnDigital. The hacking allowed widespread piracy of OnDigital's signal, destroyed its business model, and directly caused the company's bankruptcy. Murdoch didn't outcompete his rival — he hired criminals to destroy it.
OnDigital was a legitimate pay TV competitor to Murdoch's Sky platform. News Corp hired hackers to reverse-engineer OnDigital's encryption, enabling widespread piracy of their channels. When your competitor's content is available for free illegally, customers stop paying.
OnDigital collapsed. The company went bankrupt, unable to sustain its business when its encryption — the foundation of its revenue model — was compromised. Thousands of jobs lost. A viable competitor eliminated. Not through better products or lower prices, but through cybercrime.
This isn't speculation. The evidence has been documented through investigations and legal proceedings. News Corp's involvement in hacking rival platforms is a matter of public record — part of the broader pattern of Murdoch media empire misconduct that includes phone hacking at News of the World.
Phone hacking. Email hacking. Encryption cracking. The Murdoch empire has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to use criminal methods to advance its business interests. The scale of the operation — and the protection afforded by Murdoch's political connections — meant that the consequences were minimal.
No one's said anything yet. Be the first to drop your take.
