Two electronic billboards in Northbrook, a suburb of Chicago, were hacked on Wednesday, displaying offensive anti-Israel messages falsely attributed to popular YouTube star MrBeast. The billboards prominently featured a Palestinian flag and inflammatory phrases such as “F*CK ISRAEL” and “DEATH TO ISRAEL,” alongside a message claiming that the advertisements were “Paid for by MrBeast LLC.”
According to Fox32 Chicago, the hacked messages were first noticed by commuters around 5:30 pm CT. OUTFRONT Media, the company managing the billboards, quickly deactivated them once they were made aware of the incident.
Local officials and community leaders strongly condemned the hack, labeling it an antisemitic act. The Northbrook Village Board released a statement expressing solidarity with the Jewish community and reaffirmed the town’s commitment to inclusivity and tolerance.
Representatives for MrBeast confirmed that the YouTuber had no connection to the offensive content. They reported that legal counsel and law enforcement were contacted to ensure the immediate removal of the messages.
Congressman Brad Schneider (D-Illinois), who represents Northbrook, also spoke out against the hack, calling the display “disgusting” and emphasizing that such hate has no place in his district or anywhere in the country.
Northbrook Police have launched an investigation into the incident, though no additional information has been made public as of yet.
