Instagram data leak: 17.5 million users likely to be affected

Concerns have emerged globally over the possible leakage of personal data belonging to users of the social media platform Instagram, with reports suggesting that up to 17.5 million accounts may have been affected.

The development has once again raised serious questions about account security on social media platforms.

According to a report by cyber security firm Malwarebytes, the allegedly leaked data includes usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, residential addresses and other sensitive personal information.

The report said the suspected data leak was identified during routine dark web monitoring. Users were warned about the potential misuse of their information, particularly through Instagram’s password reset mechanism.

It further noted that several Instagram users had complained last week about receiving unexpected password reset emails, fuelling concerns that their accounts may have been compromised.

Malwarebytes described the activity as a global data breach affecting 17.5 million Instagram accounts, claiming cyber attackers had stolen sensitive user information that is now reportedly available for sale on the dark web.

However, Meta has denied any breach of Instagram data and assured users that their accounts remain secure.

In a statement, Meta rejected claims of a large-scale data leak, clarifying that the issue was linked to password reset requests generated by an external party and did not involve unauthorised access to Instagram’s systems.

Meta confirmed that no accounts were compromised.

It is worth recalling that in 2021, Facebook acknowledged a major data breach that affected more than 530 million users worldwide, while several other social media platforms have also faced large-scale data leaks in recent years.