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Coupang Data Breach Fallout: Daily Users Slip to 14 Million Range

Coupang's daily user numbers have taken a hit, dropping into the 14 million range. This comes after the company disclosed a massive data breach affecting a huge portion of the population. Interestingly, user activity actually spiked right after the news broke as people rushed to check their accounts. Now, the incident is serious enough that South Korean lawmakers are planning a special hearing.

Key Points: Coupang Daily Active Users Drop After Massive Data Breach

  • Daily active users fell to 14.88 million, the first drop to this range since late October
  • The breach exposed personal data of 33.7 million customer accounts, far more than initially reported
  • User count spiked temporarily after disclosure as people checked their security settings
  • South Korea's ruling party plans a joint parliamentary hearing to address the incident
2 min read

Coupang daily user count slips to 14 million range after data breach

Coupang's daily user count falls to 14 million range after a data breach exposed info of 33.7 million accounts, affecting nearly two-thirds of South Korea.

"The number of affected accounts is equivalent to nearly two-thirds of South Korea's population. - Yonhap News Agency"

Seoul, Dec 22

Coupang’s daily active user (DAU) count has fallen to the 14 million range following the e-commerce giant's disclosure of a massive data breach late last month, industry data showed on Monday.

Coupang's estimated DAU had stood at 14.88 million as of Friday, according to MobileIndex, a data platform operated by industry tracker IGAWorks, reports Yonhap news agency.

The figure marked the first time Coupang's daily user count dropped into the 14 million range since Oct. 25, when it recorded 14.91 million users.

Over the roughly three-month period from early October through Friday, Coupang's daily user count fell below 15 million on only three occasions -- Oct. 4-6 during the Chuseok holiday period, Oct. 25 and Dec. 19.

On Nov. 29, Coupang confirmed that the personal information of 33.7 million customer accounts had been exposed, far exceeding the 4,500 accounts initially reported to authorities on Nov. 20.

The number of affected accounts is equivalent to nearly two-thirds of South Korea's population.

Given that active users of Coupang's Product Commerce division, including its delivery service, reached 24.7 million in the third quarter, the scale of the breach suggests that nearly the entire user base may have been affected.

The company said the compromised data included users' names, phone numbers, email addresses and delivery addresses.

Coupang's DAU temporarily surged following the disclosure, rising into the 17 million range from Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 and reaching an all-time high of 17.98 million on Dec. 1, as users accessed the platform to check their accounts and review security settings.

Since Dec. 10, however, the figure has slipped back to the mid-15 million range, showing a gradual downward trend.

Meanwhile, the ruling Democratic Party said it plans to hold a joint parliamentary hearing involving five standing committees on Dec. 30 and 31 to address the data breach incident.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
The initial surge in users checking their accounts makes sense – we'd all panic and log in too! But the subsequent drop to 14 million daily users is a serious trust deficit. Coupang will have to work very hard to win back customers. A lesson for our Flipkart and Amazon.
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Aman W
Names, phone numbers, addresses... this is a goldmine for scammers. In India, we get enough spam calls as it is. Imagine if JioMart or BigBasket had a breach of this scale. Terrifying thought. Companies must be held accountable.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see the parliamentary hearing being called. Swift government action is crucial. Hope they impose heavy fines. In our context, the Indian government's CERT-In directives are a step, but enforcement is key.
V
Vikram M
The article says the breach was far worse than initially reported. This is the most concerning part – companies downplaying the severity. Transparency from day one is non-negotiable. Users deserve the truth, not sugar-coated statements.
K
Karthik V
While the user drop is significant, let's see if it's permanent. Often, convenience wins over security concerns after some time. But this should be a wake-up call for all of us to use unique passwords and enable 2FA wherever possible.

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