20-year-old confesses to German data hack

BERLIN: German authorities on Tuesday said a 20-year-old hacker has confessed to stealing and leaking private data from hundreds of politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, because he was “annoyed” by some of their public statements.

The young German, who is still studying and lives with his parents, was detained after police searched the family home in the western state of Hesse on Sunday.

The suspect was not remanded in custody however because he is fully cooperating and not deemed a flight risk, said Georg Ungefuk, a spokesman for the Frankfurt prosecution service’s internet crime office ZIT.

“The accused said he published the data because he had been annoyed by certain statements made by those affected,” Ungefuk told a press conference in Wiesbaden.

The suspect, who because of his age falls under juvenile law in Germany, told police he acted alone.

He stands accused of spying and illegally publishing personal data.

Ungefuk said the accused man had made a “comprehensive” confession and shown “clear remorse” about the stunning cyber security breach which hit around 1,000 politicians, journalists and celebrities and piled political pressure on the government.

The information leaked online comprised home addresses, mobile phone numbers, letters, invoices and copies of identity documents.