City
Epaper

Millions of Instagram users' data leaked, company probing

By IANS | Updated: May 21, 2019 16:30 IST

After Facebook that is battling several data breaches, its photo-sharing service Instagram saw itself in trouble after personal data of millions of celebrities and influencers were allegedly exposed on its platform in a massive database that was traced to Mumbai-based social media marketing firm Chtrbox.

Open in App

The database contained 49 million records of several high-profile influencers, including prominent food bloggers, celebrities and other social media influencers, TechCrunch reported it first late Monday.

"Each record contained public data, including bio, profile picture, number of followers they have, location and private contact information," the report claimed.

On Tuesday, an Instagram spokesperson said they were investigating whether a third party improperly stored Instagram data, in violation of its policies.

"It's also not clear whether the phone numbers and emails in Chtrbox's database came from Instagram," an Instagram Spokesperson told .

"Regardless, the possibility of third parties mishandling user data is something we take seriously, which is why we're quickly working to understand what happened," said the company.

According to the report, "Chtrbox pulled the database offline".

Chtrbox is a web development company which pays to social media influencers to promote content.

It describes itself as a platform for brands to collaborate with influential social media characters in India.

Security researcher Anurag Sen had first discovered the database.

In 2017, a bug in Instagram led to the leak of personal details of more than 6 million celebrity users that included Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian.

The stolen informated was later dumped into a database and reportedly sold for $10 per record via Bitcoins.

Open in App

Related Stories

NationalLoP Satheesan demands CBI probe into Rs 1,100 crore GST scam in Kerala

Other SportsWomen’s WC: Molineux returns, no Schutt as Australia opt to bat first against NZ

BusinessEmpowering Dreams: AI Skills for Girls – Intel India and KATHA launch AI Data Annotation Program

InternationalCalls grow for Pakistan to withdraw troops, end weaponisation of PoJK

CricketAUS-W vs NZ-W LIVE Cricket Streaming: When and Where to Watch Australia Vs New Zealand ICC Women's ODI World Cup 2025 Match 2 In India

कारोबार Realted Stories

BusinessExperts see RBI MPC policy as growth-focused with inflation comfort

BusinessListed Indian real estate developers healthy despite market headwinds: Report

BusinessIndia Ratings Affirms Star Health Insurance Company's Rating at 'IND AA+' with a Stable Outlook

BusinessRBI’s steady and cautious outlook gives confidence to businesses, investors: Industry chambers

BusinessRobotic Bikini Line Surgery: A Modern Approach to Gallbladder Removal