New Data Breach at Meta Reveals Sensitive Information for Millions of Instagram Users

SadaNews - Recent security reports revealed a new data breach at the "Instagram" platform, resulting in the leak of sensitive information concerning millions of users. This incident adds to a series of incidents that have affected major tech companies worldwide, despite the advanced security measures they employ.

According to Malwarebytes, a company specialized in information security, data belonging to approximately 17.5 million Instagram users has been leaked, including usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, physical addresses, along with other sensitive information.

The company confirmed that this data is already being offered for sale on the dark web, opening the door for potential exploitation in fraud or additional breaches, according to a report published by "phonearena" reviewed by "Al Arabiya Business".

Malwarebytes indicated that it detected the leak during routine scans of the dark web, noting that the incident may be related to a security exposure of Instagram's API in 2024.

As a result, a number of users have started receiving repeated messages to reset their passwords, even though they had not requested such actions.

How to Protect Your Account?

Cybersecurity experts advise users not to interact with any password reset messages unless they have initiated the request themselves.

It is also recommended to enable two-factor authentication immediately, and to change the password to a strong, unique one that is not used for any other accounts.

Additionally, users can review the devices connected to their accounts through the Meta Account Center to ensure there is no unusual activity, and take necessary actions if any hacking attempts are suspected.

So far, Meta has not issued an official statement detailing the incident or the data leak mechanism, nor is it clear if the affected users will receive official notifications.

This incident comes amid a previous record of similar incidents at the company related to user data protection.

Observers hope that Meta will transparently disclose the circumstances of the breach and its actual scale, but past experiences make some skeptical about the speed and clarity of the company's response to such security crises.