SAFEnet Suspects Cyberattack Behind Tempo's Missing YouTube Account

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) suspects a cyberattack behind the sudden disappearance of Tempo’s YouTube account on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at around 07:00 AM.

The organization, however, has yet to determine the exact nature of the incident as it continues gathering information from YouTube.

“At first glance, it appears to be a digital attack because the account vanished abruptly. But identifying the specific type of attack requires further analysis,” SAFEnet Executive Director Nenden Sekar Arum said when contacted on Thursday, December 11.

Tempo’s internal checks suggest the possibility of a hijacking attempt through its editorial email, which may have allowed an unknown party to take over the account. Nenden noted that hijacking attempts are typically accompanied by security notifications sent to the account owner.

If no security alerts were triggered, she recommended reviewing YouTube’s security protocols. “The platform should be able to provide more detailed and technical information about the issue,” she added.

Nenden said SAFEnet has attempted to directly seek clarification from YouTube but has not yet received a response. As a result, the organization cannot offer further conclusions at this time.

“Has Tempo experienced a cyberattack? Yes, clearly. But who the perpetrator is and what their motive might be, those are things we cannot determine yet,” said Daeng Ipul, Head of SAFEnet’s Digital Security Division.

Suspicious Activity Before the Account Disappeared

Tempo Deputy Editor Bagja Hidayat earlier recounted the initial signs of trouble, which began on December 9.

Tempo’s social media team discovered two suspicious upcoming livestreams related to bitcoin, scheduled for 11:30 AM WIB, titled “LIVE: Trump Announces Important News About Crypto! This Speech Will Change the Crypto Industry on the UNFRAME IT channel.”

“We never prepared anything like that,” Bagja said on Wednesday.

The team immediately removed the unauthorized livestreams. But the following morning, at around 06:30 WIB, the Tempodotco YouTube account disappeared entirely. The team reported the disappearance to YouTube roughly thirty minutes later.

UNFRAMED is a new channel under Tempodotco, described as a “homeless media” account managed by Tempo’s social media team. Following the incident, the only remaining Tempo-linked channel visible in YouTube search results is Tempo TV Channel, which republishes short clips from the main account.

Bagja said the team has submitted a full report to YouTube detailing the sequence of events. He confirmed that the Tempodotco account had committed no violations prior to its disappearance.

With the main account gone, all its broadcasts, including the most recent episode of Bocor Alus Politik, discussing Tempo magazine’s investigative report on the Sumatra floods, are now inaccessible.

According to Bagja, YouTube has not yet been able to determine the cause of the account’s disappearance. Initial findings point to a suspected hijacking via one of Tempo’s email channels. The social media team is working to regain access and continues coordinating with YouTube.

YouTube has not issued an official statement on the incident and has requested a list of questions for follow-up.