A report by Mysterium VPN indicates that since 2011, there have been 88 breaches in ID verification, resulting in the exposure of over 2.15 billion records. The dangers of collecting sensitive identity data are highlighted, particularly due to incidents where actual identity documents, such as ID scans and biometric templates, were leaked. Alarmingly, 42% of these breaches occurred between January 2024 and August 2026, coinciding with the rise of mandatory identity checks.
Notable cases include data leaks from platforms like the Tea app and Discord, and several verification vendors have also failed to secure user data. The report stresses that current systems for collecting identity data are vulnerable, warning against reliance on third-party providers without adequate security measures.