Channel Nine's Tom Morris Targeted by Hacker with Offensive Social Media Posts

A recent cyber incident saw the social media accounts of Channel Nine's chief AFL reporter, Tom Morris, hacked, with offensive content posted including personal information and homophobic slurs. The hacker's breach led to a public backlash, with intervention attempts from other individuals before the offensive tweets were eventually removed.

Hacker Targets Channel Nine's Tom Morris with Offensive Social Media Posts

In a recent cyber incident, the social media accounts of Channel Nine's chief AFL reporter, Tom Morris, were hacked. On October 9, 2023, Morris' X account was breached by an unknown party who posted Morris’ personal information, including his mobile phone number, and shared private messages. Additionally, the hacker posted numerous homophobic slurs and remarks, such as, "God I hate the #PRIDE community," and "It's time to ban the gays. Physically disgusting."

The hacker posted Morris' private messages and phone number, urging others to contact him. Sydney Swans AFL Women's player Chloe Molloy attempted to intervene by messaging Morris’ account, challenging the hacker to cease their invasion of privacy. The hacker then publicized Molloy's message and mocked her use of pronouns. By around lunchtime on the same day, all offensive tweets were deleted.

Tom Morris, who returned to Channel Nine in 2023 as the chief AFL reporter, previously faced backlash for offensive comments leading to his March 2022 dismissal from Fox Sports. He had made derogatory remarks about women, Asians, and gay people, which were revealed through a leaked WhatsApp chat and a video. After being sacked, Morris publicly apologized for his comments, expressing regret and shame. Despite the controversy, Morris received an award at the Australian Football Media Association Awards on September 19, 2023, amid criticism from AFL supporters.