There’s A Good Chance Facebook Has Leaked Your Personal Data And Here’s How To Check

This week Facebook has been facing one of the biggest PR disasters in recent times since the Cambridge Analytica fiasco as it was discovered data of over 500 million users is accessible online to anyone. Data such as full names, email addresses, phone numbers and other sensitive information can be accessed online for free. Facebook says the data was “scraped” in a 2019 security hole, however there’s a good chance your personal data has not changed in the past few years. So much so, even Mark Zuckerberg’s personal phone number was leaked as a part of the data leak as well. 

It was also discovered that Mark Zuckerberg uses Signal over his own WhatsApp app to communicate with peers. The reason why this is alarming is that you probably have not updated your personal details since 2019 and it is precisely the reason why you should be concerned. Not only does this make you vulnerable, but it also makes you a target for phishing attacks, hacks and identity theft as well. 

Thankfully, there is a way to check whether your data was a part of the leaked data, thanks to a database website. All you need to do is go to HaveIBeenPwned.com where you can check if your email address or mobile number was leaked. All you need to do is enter your Facebook linked email address or phone number in the text field and hit enter. If the website gives a result ‘Oh no —pwned!’ it probably means your personal data is available on the internet. 

In this case, you should immediately change your Facebook password and also the password of any other services registered with that particular email address. You should also enable two-step authentication on any of the websites and services you use in order to better protect your data and account.