Google has dismissed reports claiming that millions of Gmail passwords were recently leaked online. In an official post on X, the company said the claims are false and that the data in question comes from older breaches unrelated to any new security compromise.
Google’s account, News from Google, stated, “Reports of a ‘Gmail security breach impacting millions of users’ are false. Gmail’s defences are strong and users remain protected.” The company added that the confusion arose from “a misunderstanding of infostealer databases” that collect previously stolen credentials from various incidents across the web.
According to Google, there has been no new attack targeting Gmail. The company also explained that it constantly monitors for large-scale data leaks and helps users reset their passwords whenever compromised credentials are detected.
The controversy began when cybersecurity expert Troy Hunt, who operates the breach notification platform Have I Been Pwned, reported that a massive 3.5-terabyte database containing around 183 million email credentials had appeared online. Hunt clarified that the data set likely includes information from multiple past breaches and not from a single new event.
The leak gained international attention after it was highlighted by a major media outlet. Hunt advised internet users to check if their email addresses were exposed by visiting HaveIBeenPwned.com, where they can see if their credentials have appeared in any known breaches.
Although Google confirmed that Gmail itself remains secure, the company urged all users to take extra precautions. It recommended enabling two-step verification, using passkeys for safer logins, and resetting passwords that might appear in public data sets.
Google reassured that its systems automatically detect and mitigate potential risks linked to credential dumps and that any affected accounts are quickly resecured.
Experts also suggest users regularly change their passwords, avoid reusing them on multiple sites, and turn on multi-factor authentication for added protection.
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