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Shares in Kuaishou Technology fell as much as 6 percent today after hackers overwhelmed several of the Chinese short-video platform’s live-streaming channels with explicit and illegal content, raising concerns about the platform’s security measures. The company’s stock closed down 3.5 percent at HKD64.35 (approximately USD8), after dipping to CNY62.70 earlier in the day. Despite this decline, the stock has increased by over 50 percent this year.
The cybersecurity breach happened around 10 p.m., when multiple live streams on the platform broadcast pornographic material for more than an hour. In response, Kuaishou announced that it was targeted by hackers and activated an emergency protocol, including disabling live-streaming services. Normal operation was gradually restored by around 2 a.m.
The company expressed strong condemnation of cybercrime and disclosed that it had reported the incident to law enforcement authorities. It also stated that appropriate legal steps would be taken if necessary to safeguard its rights and those of its shareholders.
Experts note that the incident highlights the growing threat landscape, where hackers employ automation tools for large-scale attacks, while many platforms still depend on manual defenses. An analyst from a leading cybersecurity firm explained that hackers automate account creation and content posting—delivering dozens of illegal posts per second—making it nearly impossible for human moderators to keep up, often resulting in delayed responses.
To counteract these asymmetric cyber threats, industry professionals emphasize the need for artificial intelligence-based automated security systems, which can match the pace of automated hacking techniques.
Kuaishou recently reported a strong third quarter. Its net profit rose 37 percent year-over-year to CNY4.5 billion (about USD640.2 million), and revenue increased 14 percent to CNY35.6 billion (around USD5.1 billion). Live-streaming revenue grew by 2.5 percent to CNY9.6 billion. The platform reached an all-time high of 416.2 million daily active users in the third quarter, marking its third consecutive quarter of record user engagement.
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