Someone got into the internet website 4chan without permission on Tuesday.

When I wrote this, the 4chan website was not working. People on social media said it stopped working sometimes for many hours.

People on another website were happy about the hack. One person said the hacker was inside 4chan's computers for more than a year.

Pictures online seemed to show parts of the website 4chan that only special workers could see. This included things like how the website works, its code, and ways to stop users from using it. The leaked information also had a list of these special workers and other users who could delete messages, but didn't have as much power as the main workers.

Because 4chan is known for political groups that use violence, this online attack could show who is in charge of these websites. These websites are now very important for alt-right groups.

TechCrunch talked to some people whose emails were shared online. One person who works for 4chan said secretly that they think the information and pictures are real.

The janitor said he didn't have a reason to think differently.

I am a little surprised. The team at 4chan has had leaks before, but this is a much bigger problem," the moderator told TechCrunch. "I am not happy about this, and I am sure most other people are not happy either. But many of us have done this job for a long time. Finding and sharing people's private information has always been common on 4chan, and we always knew that we might be found out.

The janitor said, "I'm very worried about the information that came out, for clear reasons." He also said, "I think it's probably worse that a hacker or hackers took control of 4chan than just the pictures, at least for the website to keep working."

The worker also said it looks like the hacker got private information about people who pay for 4chan Pass. These people pay the website to post more easily and use a special part of the site.

4chan did not answer the email we sent to ask for a comment.

4chan is a website where people share messages and pictures, and they often don't use their real names. Many people use it to post surprising or bad pictures and ideas. Sometimes, things from 4chan become popular online jokes, but other times they spread hate and can even lead to violence.

Pictures like Pepe the Frog became popular on the website 4chan. Now, you can see them everywhere online. But 4chan is most known for its political discussion areas. In these areas, strong political ideas can make young people believe in white power. QAnon, a group with strange political ideas who support President Trump, also started on 4chan.

In 2019, a man killed 51 people in New Zealand. He often used a website called 4chan when he was young. In 2022, an 18-year-old man killed 10 Black people in America. He wrote a long message, and some of his ideas were similar to the ideas the man in New Zealand wrote online.