German student confesses to hacking of Merkel’s data

20-year-old suspect is believed to have acted alone, police say

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA) - A German student has confessed to carrying out hacks on personal data of Chancellor Angela Merkel and hundreds of politicians, police said on Tuesday.

The 20-year-old man was arrested on Sunday, a few days after the authorities discovered the massive data leak -- which included private information, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and correspondence of politicians and other public figures.

The Federal Criminal Office (BKA) said in a statement that the suspect confessed to hacking private data of politicians, journalists and celebrities, and leaking them using several anonymous Twitter accounts.

The suspect told investigators that he was angry with statements made by these public figures.

BKA President Holger Muench said early indications suggest that the suspect did not have any political or ideological motivation.

Local media had speculated the hacker could be a far-right sympathizer.

Kaynak: