Facebook Data Breach Exposed Over 800 Million Users' Personal Details in 2019

In August 2019, Facebook was breached in an incident that resulted in the exposure of personal information from an astonishing 862 million user accounts. Attackers were reportedly able to exploit a vulnerability that allowed them to amass a massive dataset. This breach primarily revealed the link between users' phone numbers and their public identities, but it also included a range of sensitive details like names, dates of birth, locations, emails, and more. Facebook, a platform widely used for social networking, saw a significant portion of its user base affected as private details were left unsecured and publicly accessible on the internet. The scale and sensitivity of the compromised information have made this breach stand out as one of the most impactful in recent years.

What Happened in the Facebook Data Breach?

The August 2019 breach involved the unauthorized harvesting of massive amounts of user data from Facebook's platform. The attackers exploited a now-fixed vulnerability that enabled them to match phone numbers to Facebook profiles, and in the process, they collected a trove of additional information. The breached data was stored openly on a server that did not require authentication, making it accessible to anyone who stumbled upon it.

How Many Users Were Affected?

The breach impacted a staggering 862,913,752 Facebook users. This means nearly a billion people had some combination of their personal information leaked as a result.

What Data Was Exposed?

The compromised dataset was exceptionally broad. It included:

• Phone numbers
• Full names (first and last)
• Email addresses
• Geographic locations (city, state, country, zip code)
• Birthdates (month, day, year, or full date)
• Company names
• Profile URLs

This information could make users especially vulnerable to targeted scams or phishing, given the combination of contact info and identity markers.

When Did the Facebook Breach Happen?

The data exposure was identified in August 2019. While Facebook closed the vulnerability and removed the open server after being alerted, the dataset had already been widely accessed and circulated.

Timeline of Key Events

• Early to Mid-2019: Attackers exploit a vulnerability to collect data from Facebook users.
• August 2019: The compromised data is discovered publicly accessible online.
• Shortly After Discovery: Facebook is notified and the vulnerable server is secured.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information was leaked in the Facebook August 2019 data breach?

The exposed records included phone numbers, names, emails, birthdates, geographical locations, company names, and profile URLs linked to over 862 million users.

How did the Facebook breach happen in 2019?

The breach occurred due to attackers exploiting a vulnerability in Facebook's system to match phone numbers and collect personal data, which was then found on an unsecured server.

How many users were affected in the 2019 Facebook breach?

More than 862 million Facebook users had their personal information exposed in this breach.

Who was behind the 2019 Facebook data breach?

The breach was carried out by unidentified attackers who exploited a known vulnerability, but specific individuals or groups were not publicly attributed at the time.

How can i check if i'm in the Facebook breach?

You can check if your information was part of the Facebook breach by utilizing the DeHashed search engine.