Facebook hack leaks information of 50 million users with accounts ‘taken over’

A Facebook hack has leaked the information of 50 million users with accounts being "taken over."

A security breach that happened earlier this week meant that the data of 50 million users became vulnerable. The hackers found a flaw in Facebook's code that allowed them to take over accounts for a period of time. Facebook became aware of the attack and has since solved the issue. The New York Times reports that 90 million users had to log out and log back into their accounts on Friday morning. This is a regular safety measure carried out in the aftermath of a breach. Facebook's Guy Rosen said that the hackers could use the accounts "as if they were the account holder." He said:

"On the afternoon of Tuesday, September 25, our engineering team discovered a security issue affecting almost 50 million accounts. "We’re taking this incredibly seriously and wanted to let everyone know what’s happened and the immediate action we’ve taken to protect people’s security."

This comes after the data of approximately 87 million Facebook users was acquired by Cambridge Analytica earlier this year. Facebook have said they have since "fixed" the vulnerability.