[Update: Jan 12, 2026 at 8:47 AM, Philippines] Instagram has officially responded to these reports via a post on X. The company denied that a data breach occurred, stating that the wave of emails was caused by a technical issue allowing external parties to trigger password resets.
Instagram’s full statement reads: “We fixed an issue that let an external party request password reset emails for some people. There was no breach of our systems and your Instagram accounts are secure. You can ignore those emails.”
A major cybersecurity issue is said to have hit one of the world’s biggest social media platforms. Cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes posted on X that around 17.5 million Instagram accounts were allegedly compromised. The breach is raising big privacy worries, as the stolen data is reported to include sensitive details like usernames, physical addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Sources say the stolen information is already available on the dark web, and users are already feeling the effects. Cybercriminals appear to be using the leaked data to try and break into accounts – many people have been getting legitimate password reset notifications from Instagram, which suggests attackers are trying to take advantage before users can secure their profiles.
The news has confirmed what many users already suspected after noticing odd activity on their accounts lately. On X, a user named Bane said the report finally explained why someone had been trying to hack their Instagram, adding that it was a relief to know where the problem was coming from.
The community has been quick to share advice too. Another user, Bhautik, warned everyone to ignore any password reset links sent by email and urged people to turn on two-factor authentication right away if they haven’t already.
Instagram’s parent company, Meta, hasn’t released an official statement about the incident yet and has no comment to share on the specific details at this time.
Source: Malwarebytes via X
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