Breach date: 2026-01-07. Added to this index: 2026-01-11. Accounts affected: about 6.2M. Domain: instagram.com.
What happened
In January 2026, data allegedly scraped via an Instagram API was posted to a popular hacking forum. The dataset contained 17M rows of public Instagram information, including usernames, display names, account IDs, and in some cases, geolocation data. Of these records, 6.2M included an associated email address, and some also contained a phone number. The scraped data appears to be unrelated to password reset requests initiated on the platform, despite coinciding in timeframe. There is no evidence that passwords or other sensitive data were compromised.
Breach data sourced from Have I Been Pwned, used under CC BY 4.0. Additional breach metadata provided by XposedOrNot. DataExposed is an independent service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by either.
What was exposed
Display names: The name shown to other users on your profile, which may be your real name, a nickname or a handle you chose for a game, forum or app.
Email addresses: The email address you used to register or log in. It is the most common field in breaches because it doubles as your username on most sites.
Geographic locations: A general location recorded on your account, such as a country, state, city, postcode or region, either typed in by you or estimated from your IP address.
Phone numbers: Your mobile or landline number, collected at signup for contact, delivery updates, marketing and two-factor codes.
Usernames: The handle or login name you chose for an account, which may be public on forums, games and social platforms or used privately to sign in.
What to do now
Check whether your own address is in this dataset with the free email breach check.
Review the accounts connected to this service and turn on two-factor authentication.
Turn on two-factor authentication on your email account first, because it is the reset path for everything else.
Treat calls and messages that quote real details about you as hostile until you verify them another way.
Frequently asked questions
What data was leaked in the Instagram breach?
The Instagram breach exposed Display names, Email addresses, Geographic locations, Phone numbers, Usernames. About 6.2M accounts were affected.
Was I affected by the Instagram breach?
Run the free email breach check with the address you used on that service. It will tell you whether your address appears in this dataset.
What should I do about the Instagram breach?
Treat any message that quotes details from this breach as suspicious, turn on two-factor authentication, and consider removing your details from people-search sites if your address or phone was included.