One million passports leaked online (theverge.com)

Article summary

A security researcher discovered that nearly a million passports and photo IDs were left unprotected on the public internet, due to a lack of security measures by an Irish company called Cannabis Club Systems. The documents were hosted by systems used by cannabis clubs and the company's platform, PuffPal, which manages membership and age verification for cannabis retailers and clubs across Europe. The company has since taken steps to secure the data and notified local authorities. The breach has raised concerns about data security and the potential consequences of such leaks.

Main themes

• Data Security
• Identity Verification
• GDPR Compliance
• Cannabis Regulation
• Personal Data Protection

What commenters say

• The EU's verification laws may lead to more data leaks and fines in the future due to the increased collection and storage of personal data.
• The lack of security measures in place to protect sensitive information is a major concern and a wake-up call for companies to take data protection seriously.
• Retaining personal data for longer than necessary is a violation of GDPR principles and increases the risk of data breaches.
• Some argue that the use of zero-knowledge proof systems could help prevent such leaks, while others question the effectiveness of such systems.
• The storage of sensitive information such as social security numbers and passports is often unnecessary and poses a significant risk to individuals.
• The onus is on companies to ensure that they are complying with data protection regulations and taking adequate measures to secure personal data.
• Some commenters believe that the expectation of secrecy around personal identifiers such as social security numbers is what creates their secret semantics and that alternative methods of identification could be used.
• Others argue that the use of witnesses and web of trust models could be an effective way to prevent identity theft and fraud.