Exactly 16 billion usersThe cybersecurity world is facing an unprecedented data breach. Passwords and other critical information belonging to a total of 16 billion user accounts have been leaked to the internet. In addition to technology giants such as Apple, Google, Facebook, and Telegram, login information belonging to public institutions has also been attacked.
16 billion user passwords leaked
The leaked information appears to be largely new. The data does not consist of repetitive content that has been frequently encountered in previous leaks. Only 184 million of the total data obtained had been previously reported. The remaining 15.8 billion records are being presented to the public for the first time. This situation reveals how serious the extent of the leak has reached.
The data has emerged in independent clusters. Some of these clusters have been detected by cybersecurity researchers since January 2025. The largest dataset consists of 3.5 billion accounts belonging to Portuguese-speaking users.
Other groups include users based in Russia, Telegram accounts, and data groups that are generally named with general titles, which are not clear which service they belong to. The leak covers a wide range from social media accounts to software panels, VPN services to major internet platforms.
The information is usually structured as URL, username, and password. This structure allows the data to be used directly. The data, which has not yet been clearly identified as to which company or service it belongs to, makes it difficult for users to take the necessary precautions.
No clear findings have been reached as to the purpose for which the leaked data was collected. This situation further increases the threat level. The first step in security measures came from Google after the leak.
The company sent a warning to approximately 2 billion Gmail users worldwide to change their passwords. In addition, the FBI informed users to be careful about connections received via SMS.
Cybersecurity experts state that the most effective defense method in such cases is still to use strong and unique passwords. So what do you think about this issue? You can share your views with us in the comments section below. passwords were leaked to the internet. This data appears to be linked to many companies, from Apple to Google.
