Subscription Platform Patreon Lays Off Security Team

Content subscription platform Patreon has reportedly laid off its security team sparking cybersecurity concerns among users, many of which threatened to leave the platform.

CyberScoop reports that the popular subscription platform Patreon laid off its security team this week, resulting in a major outcry from users. The layoffs gained visibility in the community after privacy lawyer Whitney Merrill tweeted a LinkedIn post from former Patreon privacy engineer Emily Metcalfe. “Wouldn’t trust my data there,” Merrill tweeted.

Cyber threat from china. Chinese hacker at the computer, on a background of binary code, the colors of the Chinese flag. DDoS attack

(Dmitry Nogaev/Getty Images)

Patreon claims to have as many as 8 million monthly users on its platform but has had a rough history with its website security. In 2015, hackers accessed the company’s user database and released gigabytes of internal data that included usernames, email addresses, private messages, and mail addresses but no credit-card numbers or Social Security numbers were accessed in the breach.

Patreon said in a statement that the layoffs of its security team will have no impact on its security program. The company stated:

As part of a strategic shift of a portion of our security program, we have parted ways with five employees. The changes made this week will have no impact on our ability to continue providing a secure and safe platform for our creators and patrons.

Employees, however, have taken issue with this characterization of the layoffs. One former engineer, Emily Metcalf, wrote in a LinkedIn post: “I and the rest of the Patreon Security Team are no longer with the company.” Another former employee that wished to remain anonymous said that the team had been understaffed even before layoffs and that the company had cut down on its use of external security vendors over the past four months.

“There are no qualified security personnel,” the employee said. “There is no one there to utilize the tools that we had in place.” A Patreon spokesperson said that “a majority of our engineers and our vendors working on security remain in place,” and added: “We also partner with a number of external organizations to continuously develop our security capabilities and conduct regular security assessments to ensure we meet or exceed the highest industry standards.”

Many creators are outraged at the decision, with self-described “fat, queer, disabled NYC artist” Suzanne Forbes writing to the company in a tweet: “You are destroying our livelihoods by failing to provide security. My Patreon has always been supported primarily by computer security professionals. Guess what they’re doing now? Deleting their accounts.”

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