Jani, a 10-years old boy, hacked Instagram and could delete any written content on the social media platform, and Facebook rewarded him 10,000$ for finding this security hole, as part of its bug bounty program, which offers cash rewards to people who find bugs and flaws in Facebook’s digital infrastructure, and that includes Instagram.
“I would have been able to eliminate anyone, even Justin Bieber” Jani said to iltalehti.
Jani sent his discovery to Facebook via email and verified his report by deleting a comment the company posted on a test account, as a spokesperson told Forbes.
He ousted a 13-year-old to become the youngest white hat hacker! And he’s planning to use his reward to buy a new bike, football gear, and new computers for his brothers.
Facebook’s bug bounty launched in 2011 and has awarded over $4.3 million to more than 800 researchers. The program determines the payout based on a bug’s risk, rather than how complex it may be. In 2015 alone, 210 researchers received $936,000 with an average payout of $1,780.
