A digital billboard at the Lakewood Towne Center, just south of Tacoma, was shut down Tuesday night after it began broadcasting a stream of political memes in what authorities believe was an unauthorized system takeover.
Witnesses reported the sign cycling through images tied to conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, AIPAC-themed graphics, and other altered memes for several hours. A Lakewood police officer spotted the unusual content and notified mall management, who immediately powered down the display.
According to KOMO, the billboard remained offline for roughly two days while property managers and vendors assessed the breach. It was restored to normal operation by Thursday afternoon.
Property management says they are working with law enforcement and technical partners to determine how the system was accessed and to implement additional safeguards. No suspects have been identified, and officials have not disclosed the method of intrusion.
Local media reviewed video showing various doctored images, including manipulated Kirk graphics, a YouTuber reacting to an Albanian military parade, and slides referencing AIPAC. One frame reportedly contained an explicit message.
The incident comes amid a string of unauthorized screen and public-address system takeovers this year. In October, Harrisburg International Airport experienced a 10-minute rogue audio message that delayed a Delta flight. That same month, airports in Kelowna and Victoria, British Columbia, reported brief unauthorized messages on terminal displays, with Victoria later attributing the issue to a cloud software problem. Earlier in the year, HUD temporarily disabled office TVs after an unexpected AI-generated video appeared, and Columbia University reported a cyber incident in June that briefly affected campus monitors.
Lakewood Towne Center, a major outdoor retail hub, remains fully operational. Police and mall vendors continue to review system logs and signage infrastructure but say there is no indication of broader impacts beyond the compromised billboard.
