## The Breach: What Happened? Instagram, one of the world's most popular social media platforms, has been hit by a massive data breach affecting approximately **17.5 million users globally**. The cybersecurity firm **Malwarebytes** discovered this security incident during routine dark web monitoring on January 9, 2026, revealing that sensitive personal information has been compromised and is now circulating on the dark web and hacker forums. This breach is linked to a vulnera