One piece of advice for the upcoming new year: remove all personal information, including any graphic content, from electronic gadgets before donating them to Goodwill.
TikToker Apologizes for Accessing Personal Items in Viral Video
A TikToker with the username @dankeunextgay gained attention for sharing the discovery of sensitive documents and photos on a $15 Apple Time Capsule that they allegedly purchased from Goodwill.
In a video from December 14th, the TikToker demonstrated the MacBook having files from the previous owner dating back to 2010 during the last year in which the wireless router was used.
I bought a $15 router at Goodwill — and found a millionaire's dirty secrets https://t.co/I8Gv7YLB6P pic.twitter.com/oyXQSBBuI6
— New York Post (@nypost) December 29, 2022
The TikToker, who only identified the owner of the electronic device as Don, apologized for going through his personal belongings in a video that has garnered 5.6 million views.
In a subsequent video, the TikToker explained the Apple Time Capsule, which was no longer being produced by the company as of 2018, had a list of backups allowing users to access past data.
The TikToker further revealed the Time Capsule could be used to revert to a specific time period.
The TikToker stated the Time Capsule contained multiple copies of the previous owner’s computer from various time periods dating back to 2010. They also claimed the device had photos dating as far back as the 1980s and speculated the owner was either a business owner or CEO.
The TikToker user went on to say they had access to the previous owner’s audit history, credit card numbers, flight information, bank account number, and even life insurance information, stating the man was worth millions of dollars.
He further commented the previous owner, Don, was likely deceased by the time the video was made, but the fact they had access to such sensitive information was alarming.
TikToker’s discovery prompts mixed reactions from viewers
The revelation prompted mixed reactions from viewers, with some expressing fear about the potential for their own personal items to be discovered in a similar manner, while others joked about the situation or admired the previous owner, Don.
Some viewers believed the Tiktoker’s discovery was rooted in reality.
One viewer speculated the previous owner, Don, may have been their deceased grandfather who was a business owner and Apple enthusiast. Others expressed concern and related to the situation.
This is why you always destroy old hard drives, tablets, and other computer electronics.
I bought a $15 router at Goodwill — and found a millionaire's dirty secrets https://t.co/Qt4XT1vRg1
— Old School Eddie (@Old_SchoolEddie) December 29, 2022
The TikTok user assured viewers they would delete the personal information once they were finished looking through it, stating they felt uncomfortable keeping other people’s belongings.
They promised to release a series exploring thrift store hard drive finds and admitted there was porn found on the device. Likewise, he emphasized the importance of not donating old technology to Goodwill.
In a third video, they revealed they were attempting to locate Don’s family members to return the intact Time Capsule and also shared their plans to search for similar devices at thrift stores.
