Researcher reports vulnerability exposing user data in the "Cancel the Hate" App
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The "Cancel the Hate" app, designed for anonymously reporting individuals critical of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is reported to have a vulnerability that exposed sensitive personal information of its users. The flaw was reported by Straight Arrow News after being discovered by a security researcher identifying himself as "BobDaHacker".
Cancel the Hate was launched by conservative activist Jason Sheppard on September 10, 2025. The platform aimed to "hold individuals accountable for their public words" by allowing users to submit reports on alleged offenders who had criticized Kirk, including their names, locations, and employers.
"BobDaHacker," found that the app was exposing user data even when privacy settings were configured to keep information hidden. The vulnerability affected the social media-style app component that was launched alongside the main reporting website, allowing for the extraction of personal details that users believed were protected.
Exposed data types include:
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Profile information
- Account credentials
The security researcher provided Straight Arrow News with a sample dataset containing information from 142 affected users. BobDaHacker also showed that the security flaw allowed unauthorized deletion of user accounts, successfully removing Straight Arrow News' test account during their investigation.
The app was developed by DreamTeam Development, LLC, which did not respond to inquiries from Straight Arrow News regarding the security vulnerabilities. Similarly, Jason Sheppard and the Cancel the Hate organization did not respond to multiple contact attempts through their website's contact form, phone calls, and email messages.
Following the discovery and reporting of the data breach, the webpage hosting the app was taken offline within hours of Straight Arrow News' initial inquiry. The news organization was able to obtain a copy of the app and establish a test account before it was removed, allowing them to verify the researcher's claims and document the security flaws.
The incident raised concerns among affected users, with one individual contacted by Straight Arrow News expressing fears that Cancel the Hate might be a "scam" after receiving an influx of donation requests to their compromised email address.
