Flickr Data Breach

On or about February 5, 2026, Flickr became aware of a data security incident involving one of its third‑party email service providers. According to the notice, a vulnerability in the provider’s system may have allowed an unauthorized third party to access certain Flickr member information, prompting Flickr to take immediate steps to contain and remediate the issue.

Upon learning of the incident, Flickr launched an internal investigation and disabled access to the affected system within hours. The company also reported the matter to the third‑party provider, demanded a full forensic review, and notified the appropriate data protection authorities.

The forensic process later determined that an unauthorized party may have accessed certain information stored within the third‑party system. After reviewing the impacted data, Flickr concluded that the exposed files may have contained personal information related to certain Flickr users.

After completing its review, Flickr began issuing written notification letters to individuals whose information may have been involved. According to the notice, Flickr stated that passwords and payment card numbers were not impacted, and the company reports that it has no evidence at this time that the exposed information has been misused for fraud or identity theft.

Flickr is a global photo‑sharing platform that maintains user account information, login metadata, and activity‑related data for millions of members worldwide.

The breach occurred within a third‑party vendor system integrated with Flickr’s operations and involved unauthorized access to information processed through that external service.

Following the incident, Flickr reported that it is strengthening its technical and administrative security controls, enhancing oversight of vendor systems, and improving architectural safeguards to reduce the risk of future incidents.

If you received a Notice of Data Breach letter from Flickr, it confirms that your personal information may have been involved in this security incident.

What information is involved in the Flickr Data Breach?

Compromised information may include:

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) includes data that can be used to identify you. Companies are legally required to safeguard this information. When PII is exposed in a data breach, it may be used by cybercriminals to commit identity theft, financial fraud, phishing scams, or other unauthorized activity.

A specific subset of PII is Protected Health Information (PHI), which includes medical and health insurance data. PHI is protected under both federal and state privacy laws, including HIPAA and related state statutes. When PHI is exposed in a data breach, it can be used in conjunction with other personal data to commit identity theft, medical fraud, and insurance fraud.

The exposure of identifying information, even without financial data, can increase the risk of phishing, targeted scams, and account takeover attempts.

If your information was involved in this data breach, it is important to monitor your online accounts, email inbox, and security settings for suspicious activity. Impacted individuals are encouraged to follow the instructions provided in the Flickr notification letter regarding monitoring their accounts and remaining vigilant for phishing attempts.

Residents of California benefit from enhanced privacy protections under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which grants additional rights related to the collection, storage, and protection of personal information. California residents may also have additional legal remedies depending on the nature of the compromised data.

If you received a Notice of Data Breach letter related to the Flickr data breach, your personal information may be at risk.

Contact the Data Breach Lawyers at Emery | Reddy, PC for a Free Case Review today.