16bn passwords from Google, Facebook, Apple exposed

Over 16 billion login credentials and passwords have been leaked from major platforms including Google, Facebook, Apple, and several government digital services.

According to a Forbes report published Thursday (June 19), tech giant Google has urged billions of users to change their passwords immediately. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has also issued a warning, advising people to avoid clicking on suspicious links received via SMS.

The breach was uncovered by cybersecurity research group Cybernews. Researcher Vilias Petkauskas stated that the leaked data came from at least 30 different datasets, each containing millions to over 3.5 billion pieces of personal information. “Unlike previous leaks, most of this data is new and still valid,” he warned.

British newspaper The Independent reported that experts believe the breach was part of a coordinated cyberattack campaign aimed at large-scale data exploitation. The stolen credentials—embedded in URL formats—granted access to platforms such as Apple, Facebook, Google, GitHub, Telegram, and government systems.

Cybernews noted that the stolen data briefly appeared online before being taken down, making it difficult to trace its source or identify the perpetrators.

Researchers concluded that the breach was not the result of a single hack, but rather the outcome of multiple attacks involving Infostealer malware. The exact number of affected users remains unknown.

However, experts warn that the leaked information could be used in phishing attacks, spam campaigns, and account hijacking attempts worldwide.