New Delhi, Jan. 12 -- A wave of unexpected password reset emails recently unsettled Instagram users across regions, triggering concerns about a possible data breach. The alerts, which arrived without users initiating any reset request, quickly spread anxiety across social media and security forums. Instagram has now clarified what happened , and why user accounts were not compromised.

The issue came into focus after reports surfaced that personal data linked to millions of Instagram accounts was allegedly circulating online. While these reports did not originate from Instagram itself, the timing coincided with a sudden increase in password reset emails landing in user inboxes.

For many users, the alerts appeared multiple times, creating...