Sony Pictures hackers offer to withhold employee information

In what is probably the most unexpected twist in the recent Sony Pictures hack, the hacking group has actually decided to be somewhat courteous and withhold personal information if the affected employees ask them to keep it out of the public eye. Sony Pictures employees need only write in and request that their information remain private.

Hackers aren’t exactly known for their respect for privacy and it’s unclear why the Guardians of Peace (GOP), the name of the group behind the Sony Pictures hack, have chosen to do so for these employees. Perhaps they realize that these leaks don’t just hurt the actors and executives that are associated with the company, but the ordinary workers as well.

“Message to SPE Staffers,” the group wrote in an official statement on Pastebin. “We have a plan to release emails and privacy of the Sony Pictures employees. If you don’t want your privacy to be released, tell us your name and business title to take off your data.”

It’s still a half-hearted gesture, as the GOP is still leaking information, but it does suggest that the group has some sense of restraint and won’t just dump everything that it has. Even so, its doubtful that Sony Pictures will find much comfort in this announcement, especially considering that the GOP has promised to continue leaking information, and that future leaks will be “more interesting.”

Despite how good this news is for ordinary Sony Pictures employees, the final part of the group’s statement reminds us that they’re still hackers, and they’re still trying to extort the company: “The sooner SPE accept our demands, the better, of course. The farther time goes by, the worse state SPE will be put into and we will have Sony go bankrupt in the end.”