Instagram exposed with high security lapse


By MYBRANDBOOK


Instagram exposed with high security lapse



Ina recently high security lapse with Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned by Facebook, Instagram’s “Download Your Data” tool inadvertently exposed some user passwords, a report from The Information claims. In some instances, user passwords may have been exposed to public view. Instagram is said to have informed affected users via an email.

 

As per the report, Instagram users were informed via email that if they had used the “Download Your Data” tool, their passwords were exposed by being included in the URL of a webpage tied to the tool. Additionally, the passwords were also stored on Facebook’s computers. Recently, Instagram announced that it has reached 1 billion monthly active users. Instagram is ready to compete head-on with YouTube. It means about billions of users data is under stake.

 

Hitting the 1 billion user milestone could put pressure on Instagram to carry its weight in the Facebook family and bring home more cash. Facebook doesn’t break out Instagram’s revenue and has never given any guidance about it. But eMarketer estimates that Instagram will generate $5.48 billion in U.S. ad revenue in 2018, up 70 percent from last year. It reports that Instagram makes up 28.2 percent of Facebook’s mobile ad revenue. In this scenario of serious security lapse, Instagram has to rethink seriously on the immediate remedies.

 

The company spokesperson for Instagram says the issue was “discovered internally and affected a very small number of people.” Instagram also says that the bug has since been resolved and advises any affected users to clear their browser history to prevent anyone from seeing the URL that included their password.

 

It is a basic security lapse for Instagram and Facebook, which hasn’t done much at all to prove to users it knows how to handle sensitive data. It certainly raises the question of other security practices going on within Instagram.

 

Instagram originally launched its “Download Your Data” tool in April of this year to comply with the EU’s GDPR, but it is available to users around the world as well. Once you request your data via the tool, Instagram emails you within 48 hours with a full copy of everything you’ve shared on Instagram and all of the data the company has collected.

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