Instagram is one of the most-used social media platforms in the world, with over 500 million daily active users. With a user base that big, the platform can’t afford to leave any loopholes that can result in a data breach. However, a recent report claimed that cybercriminals have stolen sensitive information from millions of Instagram accounts. Meanwhile, Instagram has said that there had been no data breach , despite users noticing suspicious password reset requests.
Instagram addresses suspicious password reset request emails: “No breach”
The report in question came via Malwarebytes , which reports that cybercriminals have access to information from nearly 17.5 million accounts. The compromised information reportedly comprises usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and more. What’s scary is that the data is available for sale on the dark web.
Malwarebytes also cites some user reports claiming they noticed suspicious password reset requests sent to their email addresses. It’s unclear whether the password reset requests are a result of the alleged data breach. After the report went viral, Instagram clarified that “there was no breach,” despite reports of suspicious password reset requests.
Apparently, all those emails were part of an ongoing issue, which Instagram has fixed. “We fixed an issue that let an external party request password reset emails for some people… your Instagram accounts are secure,” Instagram noted on X. If you came across any such emails in the past few days, the platform says it’s best to ignore them.
Always enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your accounts
Although Instagram has clarified that there was no data breach and that the password reset requests were an issue, it’s best to stay vigilant in the future. With technologies getting more advanced day by day, cybercriminals have found new ways to hack into accounts. If you use the Instagram app , we always recommend setting up multi-factor authentication (MFA) to stay secure. Speaking of Instagram, the CEO recently also advocated the idea of labeling human content to fight AI slop .
