The official Facebook page of Kannada News Today, a leading regional news platform, was recently restored after being hacked and left inaccessible for nearly a month. The incident highlights a growing problem faced by digital platforms and media outlets—losing control of social media accounts, which have become vital communication tools.
Satish Raj Goravigere, founder of Kannada News Today, shared his thoughts on the significant setback the team faced during this period. “Losing access to our Facebook page was a major blow, not just in terms of direct communication with our audience, but also because it impacted our overall traffic,” Satish Raj Goravigere explained. “It’s not just us—many others, including cinema actors, politicians, and organizations, have faced similar challenges. Several high-profile figures have lost their pages, which has cost them a huge fan base and led to a drastic decline in online engagement.”
Goravigere reflected on the broader implications of such breaches, pointing to high-profile cases like that of popular cinema actor Kichcha Sudeep, whose Facebook page was compromised last year, leading to a disruption in fan interaction and online promotions. “It’s not an isolated issue; many in the entertainment industry have struggled with hacked accounts, with some even losing their verified status,” he noted. “These attacks aren’t just about the page; they impact reputation, trust, and the connection between public figures and their followers.”
The Kannada News Today team wasted no time in taking legal action and working with cybersecurity professionals to prove ownership of their Facebook page. After submitting all necessary documentation to Meta, they endured a lengthy recovery process. “Getting the page back was a tedious process,” Goravigere admitted. “We were in constant contact with Meta’s support team, proving ownership and verifying our identity, and it was an exhausting few weeks. But persistence paid off, and we finally regained control.”
During the downtime, Kannada News Today saw a sharp decline in website traffic due to the loss of social media access. “We lost a significant portion of our traffic as our readers couldn’t find updates on Facebook,” Goravigere continued. “This affected our engagement, and many of our loyal followers were left in the dark. The lack of interaction on the platform made it difficult to keep the momentum going.”
The situation has prompted Kannada News Today to adopt more rigorous security protocols to protect against future attacks. “We’re not the only ones facing this. Other regional news platforms and public figures have been affected, and it’s a growing issue,” said Goravigere. “We are now implementing multi-factor authentication and strengthening our overall security measures to prevent such breaches in the future.”
As the page has been restored, the team is now focused on rebuilding lost audience engagement. “We are thankful for the patience and support shown by our readers. Our team is working hard to regain the trust of our audience and continue delivering news without any further disruptions,” Goravigere concluded.
