AI ‘Hacks’ Daily Life: 40 Million Personal Records Exposed
고진아Reporter2026.09.13 07:10
September 13, 2026, marked a grim reality for a self-deprecating warning: “There’s no more information left to protect.” This day saw a deluge of personal data breaches affecting tens of millions across everyday sectors like OTT streaming and beauty, starkly exposing the vulnerabilities of information security in the AI era.
Throughout 2026, personal data breaches have proliferated across all facets of daily life, including OTT, healthcare, beauty, and content services. Platforms deeply integrated into our routines, such as online video streaming (OTT), beauty services, and content providers, have become prime targets for hackers.
A prominent example is Tving. A breach in May led to the exposure of 39.54 million account details and 361 technical assets. This figure surpasses Coupang’s 30 million record leak last year, making it the largest data breach ever recorded for a domestic OTT service. On September 3, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) attributed the Tving incident to “poor access key management.” Lim Jeong-gyu, Director General of Information Security and Network Policy at MSIT, stated, “The company’s basic security management negligence led to large-scale damage.”
The beauty and medical information platform, ‘Gangnam Unnie,’ also recently suffered a data breach, affecting approximately 220,000 domestic and international users. Particularly concerning is the leakage of sensitive personal information, including consultation and treatment details, raising fears of secondary damages. Payment service ‘Toss Payments’ experienced an incident where purchase information of 2,671 individuals was accessed, not through direct hacking, but indirectly due to the exposure of payment integration authentication details from a specific merchant. Additionally, the content platform ‘Mupat’ saw some user information accessed and exfiltrated, illustrating a widespread issue of data leaks across various industries.
The surge in personal data breaches from platforms integral to daily life is underpinned by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the acceleration of digital transformation across society. The proliferation of cloud and internet-based services has, according to analysis, broadened hackers’ “attack surface.” Yang Jong-heon, Head of Integrated Analysis at S2W, warned, “AI lowers the barrier to entry for attacks, making them easier.” Professor Yeom Heung-yeol of Soonchunhyang University also noted, “Companies’ security investments and individuals’ security awareness are failing to keep pace with the speed of digital transformation.”
Experts emphasize the need for companies to enhance their defense systems and invest sufficiently in specialized personnel, matching the pace of AI technological development. Just as companies like SK Telecom and Lotte Card, which experienced major data breaches in the past, have strived to strengthen their security, all businesses must adopt proactive measures. Furthermore, individual users must adhere to basic security protocols and remain vigilant against increasingly sophisticated smishing, voice phishing, and other forms of secondary damage. It is a time to recognize that personal information breaches can directly lead to financial losses or severe privacy invasions.
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