Despacito: Most watched YouTube video ever 'deleted' in apparent hack

Luis Fonsi’s record-breaking video for “Despacito” was temporarily deleted from YouTube after a small number of high profile Vevo accounts were hacked.

Just five days after it was announced that the video, which also features Daddy Yankee, had reached the remarkable milestone of becoming the first YouTube video in history to reach 5 billion views, it disappeared.

A still on the video showed several masked figures aiming guns at the camera, which is not a scene from the “Despacito” video. When fans attempt to press play, it said the video was unavailable. The video has since been reinstated and has the same number of views as before.

More than a dozen other artists, including Shakira, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift and Drake, were also affected. The original clips had been posted by Vevo.

The hackers, calling themselves Prosox and Kuroi’sh, wrote “Free Palestine” beneath the videos.

Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations

10 show all Palestinians clash with Israeli troops during mass demonstrations

1/10 Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty

2/10 Israeli soldiers stand as Palestinian protesters gather on the Israel Gaza border AP

3/10 A Palestinian is carried on a stretcher after being injured during the demonstration AFP/Getty

4/10 Israeli soldiers take aim as they lie prone over an earth barrier along the border with the Gaza strip in the southern Israeli kibbutz of Nahal Oz as Palestinians demonstrate on the other side commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty

5/10 Palestinian paramedics evacuate an injured man on the Gaza side of the Israel-Gaza border Reuters

6/10 Palestinians demonstrate with crossed-out posters depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump, during a tent city protest near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip AFP/Getty Images

7/10 Palestinian protesters flee from teargas AFP/Getty

8/10 Israeli soldiers shoot tear gas grenades towards the Palestinian tent city protest commemorating Land Day AFP/Getty

9/10 Palestinian protesters take cover from Israeli troops AP

10/10 Palestinians chant slogans as they attend a demonstration near the Gaza Strip border AP

The Spanish-language hit “Despacito” was released in January 2017, and went on to break several records in music streaming, including one for the single with the most weeks at No 1 in the US, with 16 consecutive weeks.

It also became the most-streamed song in the world after reaching 4.6 billion plays. A remix of the song featuring Justin Bieber also proved hugely popular.

The BBC reports that a Twitter account appearing to belong to one of the hackers posted: “It’s just for fun. I just use [the script] ‘youtube-change-title-video’ and I write ‘hacked’.

“Don’t judge me, I love YouTube,” it added.

A spokesperson for Vevo told The Independent: "Vevo can confirm that a number of videos in its catalogue were subject to a security breach today, which has now been contained. We are working to reinstate all videos affected and our catalogue to be restored to full working order.

"We are continuing to investigate the source of the breach."

A YouTube spokesperson added: "After seeing unusual upload activity on a handful of Vevo channels, we worked quickly with our partner to disable access while they investigate the issue."

The Independent has contacted Luis Fonsi’s representative for comment.