Technology Platforms

A major data breach at audio‑sharing platform SoundCloud has exposed personal and contact details tied to about 29.8 million user accounts, according to breach‑notification service Have I Been Pwned. The compromised data include email addresses, usernames and display names, profile photos, follower and following counts, and, in some cases, geographic location—though SoundCloud says passwords and payment information were not accessed. Security researchers have attributed the attack to the ShinyHunters extortion gang, and SoundCloud has confirmed that after detecting unauthorized access to an internal service dashboard it faced extortion demands and email‑flooding harassment aimed at users, employees and partners. Cybersecurity experts warn that linking email addresses to rich public profile data will make it easier for scammers to mount convincing phishing and impersonation campaigns masquerading as SoundCloud or popular creators. The stolen dataset is expected to circulate for years on criminal forums, heightening long‑term risks for musicians, influencers and ordinary users in the U.S. and abroad.