On April 24, CAMPFIRE announced that up to 225,846 people may have been affected by a possible data breach following unauthorized access to its GitHub account earlier this month.
The Tokyo-based company, which operates a major クラウドファンディング (kuraudo fandingu, crowdfunding) platform, revealed new details about the incident that it first disclosed on April 3.
What Happened?
The issue began with 不正アクセス (fusei akusesu, unauthorized access) to a system management GitHub アカウント (akaunto, account) on April 2.
The company publicly acknowledged the unauthorized access on April 3 and continued investigating. On April 21, it confirmed access to its データベース (deetabeesu, database), which stores customer information. This investigation ultimately *〜に至った (ni itatta, led to) the April 24 announcement that personal information may have been exposed.
In its statement, CAMPFIRE explained that there is currently no confirmation of data being downloaded or misused. Credit card information was not included in the potentially affected data.
What Information May Have Leaked?
The possible 漏えい (rouei, data leak) involves information stored in the company’s customer management system.
According to CAMPFIRE, the affected data may include:
Project creators (since February 2021) Names, addresses, phone numbers, and bank account information — 120,929 cases.
Supporters using certain payment or refund services
- Supporters who used PayPal since January 2021
- Supporters who used the deferred payment service “Kondo Barai” from January 2022 to January 2023
- Supporters who received refunds via bank transfer from January 2022 to March 2026
Names, addresses, and bank account information — 130,155 cases.
Registered users (as of March 5, 2025) 1,282 names.
Of the data in categories (1) and (2), 82,465 cases included bank account information.
CAMPFIRE emphasized that credit card details were not part of the compromised information.
How the Company Is Responding
Starting April 24, the company will notify affected individuals by email. On April 28, it plans to open a dedicated inquiry desk to handle questions and concerns.
CAMPFIRE is also urging users to be cautious about フィッシングメール (fisshingu meeru, phishing emails) and パスワードの使いまわし (pasuwaado no tsukaimawashi, reusing passwords). These are common risks after a publicized data breach.
The company stated that it will report the matter to Japan’s Personal Information Protection Commission and consult with police authorities, while continuing a detailed investigation in cooperation with external specialists.
Cultural Context: Data Breaches and Corporate Responsibility in Japan
In Japan, companies that experience a personal information breach are expected to act quickly and publicly. Formal announcements, apologies, and detailed breakdowns of affected data are common.
You may notice expressions such as 〜を巡り (〜o meguri, regarding; surrounding) in Japanese news reports. This phrase is frequently used when discussing controversies or incidents. For example:
- GitHubアカウントへの不正アクセスを巡り、発表した。 GitHub akaunto e no fusei akusesu o meguri, happyou shita. “The company announced (this) regarding the unauthorized access to its GitHub account.”
This formal style is typical of Japanese business reporting.
Learn Japanese from This Article
Key Vocabulary
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 不正アクセス | fusei akusesu | unauthorized access |
| 漏えい | rouei | data leak, information breach |
| アカウント | akaunto | account |
| データベース | deetabeesu | database |
| フィッシングメール | fisshingu meeru | phishing email |
| パスワードの使いまわし | pasuwaado no tsukaimawashi | reusing passwords |
| クラウドファンディング | kuraudo fandingu | crowdfunding |
Notice how many of these are written in katakana. They are loanwords adapted into Japanese pronunciation. Mastering katakana is essential for reading modern news, especially in tech.
Grammar Spotlight
1️⃣ 〜を巡り (〜o meguri) — “regarding; surrounding”
Used frequently in news articles to describe the topic of discussion.
Structure: Noun + を巡り
Examples:
不正アクセスを巡り、調査が続いている。 Fusei akusesu o meguri, chousa ga tsuzuite iru. “An investigation is ongoing regarding the unauthorized access.”
情報漏えいを巡り、会社が発表した。 Jouhou rouei o meguri, kaisha ga happyou shita. “The company made an announcement regarding the data leak.”
This pattern sounds formal and is commonly used in journalism.
2️⃣ 〜に至った (〜ni itatta) — “led to; ended up”
Often used in official explanations to describe a final outcome.
Structure: Verb (dictionary form) + に至った
Example:
- データベースへのアクセスが確認され、今回の発表に至った。 Deetabeesu e no akusesu ga kakunin sare, konkai no happyou ni itatta. “Access to the database was confirmed, leading to this announcement.”
This phrasing is very common in corporate statements and formal reports.
Useful Expression
- 現時点で被害は確認していない。 Genjiten de higai wa kakunin shite inai. “At this point, no damage has been confirmed.”
You’ll often see this line in news reports about incidents under investigation.
Continue Learning
📚 Working on your reading skills? Our Katakana Essentials: Adapting Global Words to Japanese lesson is a great next step.
📚 Ready to dive deeper? Our lesson on Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties will help you master these concepts.
Basic Vocabulary Building: Embracing Words Without Latin Ties
📚 Ready to dive deeper? Our lesson on Reading and Writing in Japanese II: Hiragana and Katakana will help you master these concepts.
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