After a series of sensational stories claiming that a Gmail data breach had impacted hundreds of millions of accounts began appearing online, Google was pushed to publicly deny the reports.
Claims that a data breach had occurred began circulating over the weekend, with Daily Mail typically stating that “183 MILLION passwords” were stolen. Most clickbaity headlines urged Gmail users to check the health of their accounts immediately.
But that’s simply not true, Google soon said. After seeing that the reports weren’t simply going away, the tech giant had to explain in a series of posts on X that Gmail didn’t actually suffer a breach.
The compromised accounts were actually from a compilation of credentials stolen by information-stealing malware and other attacks over the years.
“Reports of a ‘Gmail security breach impacting millions of users’ are false. Gmail's defenses are strong, and users remain protected,” reads a post on X.
“The inaccurate reports stem from a misunderstanding of infostealer databases, which routinely compile various credential theft activities occurring across the web. It's not reflective of a new attack aimed at any one person, tool, or platform.”
The company also assured that Gmail always takes action “when we spot large batches of open credentials, helping users reset passwords and resecure accounts.” Since Gmail didn’t move to act this time, no new breach was presumably detected.
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