Flickr issues warning over possible user data exposure

Photography platform Flickr has informed users of a security incident at one of the company’s third-party service providers, potentially involving users’ personal information.

In an email to affected users, Flickr tells them about a security incident at one of its third-party service providers.

“On February 5, 2026, we were alerted to a vulnerability in a system operated by one of our email service providers. This flaw may have allowed unauthorized access to some Flickr member information. We shut down access to the affected system within hours of learning about it,” Flickr says in the email, which has been posted on messaging platform X.

The attackers may have accessed and exfiltrated personal information, including names, user names, email addresses, account types, IP addresses, location data, and activity on the photo-sharing platform. The company has reassured that passwords and payment card numbers weren’t involved.

In response to the incident, Flickr says that it disabled access to the affected system and removed all links to the vulnerable endpoint. In addition, Flickr has notified the service provider involved and demanded a full investigation into the incident.

Furthermore, Flickr states that it’s conducting a “thorough review” into its security practices with third-party providers and is strengthening its security protocols. Lastly, all relevant data protection authorities have been notified of the security incident.

“We sincerely apologize for this incident and for the concern it may cause. We take the privacy and security of your data extremely seriously, and we are taking immediate action to prevent any similar issues by conducting a thorough investigation, strengthening our system architecture, and further enhancing our monitoring of third-party service providers,” Flickr added in the email.

Flickr doesn’t specify which company was affected, how the attackers were able to gain access to the compromised system, or how many users may have been impacted. As of writing, no ransomware operation or threat actor has claimed responsibility for the potential data theft.

Flickr is a photo-sharing platform and web services suite that was launched in 2004. With over 35 million monthly users and more than 28 billion hosted photos and videos, Flickr is one of the largest photography communities.

Unlock more exclusive Cybernews content on YouTube.