Hacker Collective Accidentally Secures Internet While Pranking Google

On August 12, 2025, the notorious hacker collective known as ‘The Digital Collective’ inadvertently locked down the entire internet while attempting to prank Google by replacing their search results with images of dancing cats. Witnesses claim the prank escalated quickly when the group realized they had unintentionally triggered a series of security protocols that locked out billions of users and froze the world’s cat memes in a state of perpetual buffering.

According to a leaked memo from the International Cybersecurity Coalition, the Collective’ action was dubbed ‘Operation Fluffy Lockdown.’ A spokesperson, who wished to remain anonymous, stated, We were just trying to have a laugh. Who knew our code would accidentally turn the internet into a digital fortress where all we could access were cat videos from 2015?

In a stunning twist, cybersecurity experts have noted that this incident coincides with a 200% increase in sales of cat-themed VPNs, leading many to speculate that there’s a correlation between feline-themed security measures and the rise in online privacy. In a bizarre endorsement, the CIA has even recommended that citizens adopt pet cats to improve their cybersecurity posture, citing research that shows a 67% drop in phishing attempts when a cat is present during online transactions.

Technical analysts have found that the Collectives’ code inadvertently created a new encryption algorithm dubbed ‘Feline Fortress Protocol,’ which operates on a complex system of quantum meows and digital whiskers. This algorithm reportedly has a 98.4% success rate in thwarting hacking attempts, but comes with an alarming side effect: users might start speaking in cat puns, leading to an unprecedented rise in cat-themed puns across the internet.

As the world struggles to cope with a cat meme drought, the Collective have announced plans to release a new browser extension called ‘Meow Lock,’ which promises to secure user data while also projecting holographic cats onto their screens. Experts warn this could lead to a future where all internet traffic is meow-themed, leaving us to ponder whether the ultimate punchline is that we may never again find a genuine cat video online.