Ethnic communities should be involved in curating collections at Lord Curzon’s country home, says National Trust
By Amit RoyMay 31, 2024
THE National Trust is encouraging British Asian visitors – especially Eastern Eye readers – to engage with their own history at Kedleston Hall, a magnificent estate in Derbyshire.
This was once the home of the imperial ruler whose influence on India, Pakistan and Bangladesh lives on to this day.
George Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Marquess Curzon of Kedleston, KG, GCSI, GCIE, PC, FRS, FRGS, FBA (January 11, 1859-March 20, 1925), styled Lord Curzon of Kedleston between 1898 and 1911 and then Earl Curzon of Kedleston between 1911 and 1921, was a prominent British statesman, Conservative politician and writer.
Most importantly, he served as viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905.
Preparations are under way to mark the centenary of Curzon’s death next year. He died at his London townhouse but his body was brought back for burial in the crypt of the 12th century church behind the estate.
Diwali celebrations, deemed a great success at Kedleston last year, are due to be repeated in 2024. There will also be a “South Asian heritage” month from July 18 to August 18 this summer. The café will serve chickpea curry branded as “Kedleston curry”. There has already been chicken curry on the menu.
Illuminated diyas and floral arrangements, made by local artist Sheena Holland, in the library for Diwali
On balance, Curzon would probably have approved of these innovations, given his cultural inclinations.
He is generally reckoned to have been the most influential of the viceroys who governed India.
Curzon, who was educated at Eton and Oxford, was resentful of the doggerel that followed him all his life: “My name is George Nathaniel Curzon,/ I am a most superior person./ My cheek is pink, my hair is sleek,/ I dine at Blenheim once a week.”
As a senior member of the Tory party, he rose to become foreign secretary, but was bitterly disappointed he never made it as prime minister. But his lasting legacy was from his time in India.
If British Asians want to understand something about their own history and why they are in this country at all, then Kedleston Hall is worth a visit.
There is a large Asian population with easy reach of Kedleston. In Derby, 13 per cent of the population is Asian, with a large proportion being of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin.
There certainly was a very bad side to Curzon. In fact, the Trust once upset the Daily Mail by stating that he was motivated by “racist ideology”.
He adopted the divide-and-rule policy of partitioning Bengal along Hindu-Muslim lines in 1905, thereby creating communal disharmony where previously there had been very little. He also took the decision to move the capital of British India from Calcutta [now Kolkata] to New Delhi.
On the other hand, he appreciated the culture and art of India. He rescued the Taj Mahal, which was in danger of becoming a ruin. On the advice of his wife, Mary, he also established the Kaziranga National Park in Assam, now home to the onehorned rhinoceros – which was being hunted to extinction – as well as the Indian bison, tiger, leopard, python, buffalo and other wildlife.
Following the death of Queen Victoria in January 1901, Curzon suggested the building of what became the Victoria Memorial Hall in the city: “Let us, therefore, have a building, stately, spacious, monumental and grand, to which every newcomer in Calcutta will turn, to which all the resident population, European and Native, will flock, where all classes will learn the lessons of history and see revived before their eyes the marvels of the past.”
Today, the Victoria Memorial is a muchloved landmark in the “city of joy”. And 77 years after Indian independence, his statue still remains in front of the building.
The Indian ambivalence towards him was expressed by the author, Krishna Dutta, who said that in her book, Calcutta, she had described Curzon as “the most articulate, passionate, arrogant, effective, and most important of all the viceroys”.
She added that “Jawaharlal Nehru (independent India’s first prime minister) was probably right when he remarked, ‘After every other viceroy has been forgotten, Curzon will be remembered because he restored all that is beautiful in India’.”
As in the ITV drama, Downton Abbey, Curzon married an American – his first wife, Mary Leiter, was the daughter of a department store owner in Chicago. The couple had three daughters. Mary died in 1906, shortly after returning from India.She is remembered for wearing an elaborate “peacock dress” during the Delhi Durbar of 1903 which her husband had organised to celebrate the succession of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra as Emperor and Empress of India.
Curzon, who was of the view the British empire in India should last for ever, said: “As long as we rule India, we are the greatest power in the world. If we lose it, we shall drop straightaway to a third-rate power.”
George Nathaniel Curzon in robes of chancellor of Oxford University by Sir Hubert von Herkomer
He had no children with his second wife, Grace Elvina Hinds, a wealthy American widow. Curzon depended on US wealth to maintain his position as one of the leading politicians in the country.
Kedleston Hall was handed over to the National Trust in 1987. But descendants of the Curzon family, who have lived on the estate since the 12th century, still occupy a wing in the property.
On a recent tour of the Kedleston, Eastern Eye met key figures – Fiona Bridges, its general manger; Morgan Feely, the property curator; Simran Kaur Sandhu, senior programming and partnership officer; and Melangell Penrhys, consultant conservator.
Bridges explained that the Trust was trying to attract many more Asians to Kedleston. It is reaching out to Asian communities not only in Derby but also in Leicester and Birmingham.
Simran Kaur Sandhu
She said: “When I joined six years ago, there were few visitors coming from that population. Apart from the pandemic when we were closed, we have looked at ways of understanding how Kedleston can be made more relevant. We are working with local communities.”
The Trust, she said, wanted to change some of the old marketing techniques, so that “our visitors are a reflection of what the communities in our society look like.”
Last year, the Trust won the Eastern Eye ACTA (Arts, Culture & Theatre Award) for community engagement for its efforts to improve diversity.
It has persisted in doing so, despite attacks from right-wing politicians and commentators, who believe the history of slavery and colonialism and how estate owners became rich should be withheld from visitors. They argue that the Trust should confine itself basically to serving cream teas in beautiful settings – and not upset traditional folk too much with back stories of ill-gotten gains.
Bridges wants to involve Asian communities in deciding “how we curate Kedleston’s connections, how we involve other people in decisions on how exhibits are displayed, and how we bring out the stories.”
May Victoria Leiter
She told Eastern Eye: “I really feel passionately about this. I didn’t join the National Trust simply because I love historic buildings. I came because I love connecting people with relevance and culture.”
She pointed out that in the shop at Kedleston, “we have been able to engage with young British Asian artists. The connection between Kedleston and the south Asian community in Derby is really strong. We have changed the menu in our restaurant to bring in (Asian) dishes.”
Meanwhile, Sandhu hopes – “providing there are sufficient funds” – to light up a bigger part of Kedleston for Diwali this year. Last year, thanks to the celebrations, “the percentage of people of colour visiting Kedleston went up to 5.6 per cent over a three-week period, as opposed to 1.6 per cent to 2.2 per cent in other months”.
She spoke of changing attitudes among British Asians. “One of the things I realised is when the first generation of immigrants began arriving in the 1950s, they were just surviving, having thought the streets of Britain were paved with gold. They had little time for arts and culture.
“But the second and third generation, who are professional – doctors, accountants and engineers – want to understand their roots and their culture. The younger cohort of British Asians are probably the audience we are looking to. There will be some performances and immigration stories told as part of the South Asian heritage month.”
She has also established a link with Oliver Godsmark, senior lecturer in global and South Asian history at the University of Derby, with particular expertise in late colonial and early postcolonial India. “It’s fantastic that you would like to feature something on Kedleston in Eastern Eye,” the historian commented.
Feely is a recent arrival who took up his post as property curator seven months ago.
He said: “I’m very excited about the wonderful opportunities that we have. I’m responsible for the presentation, preservation, and interpretation of the house and collections here at Kedleston.”
The marble floor with fluted columns
Government House in Kolkata, modelled on Kedleston, was where Curzon lived when he was viceroy of India. Today, as the residence of the governor of West Bengal, it is known as “Raj Bhavan”.
Tracing the history of Kedleston, Feely said that Kedleston was “built in the middle of the 18 century and replaced earlier houses which had been on the site. They literally moved the village to make way for the park in the late 18th century.”
He went on: “In the 18th century, politics was divided between the Tories and the Whigs. The Curzons were a leading Tory family in Derbyshire. The Devonshires, who owned Chatsworth House, were Whigs. The Curzons wanted to build something that would be equivalent to Chatsworth House (owned by the Duke of Devonshire). Horace Walpole (man of letters and Whig politician) said the Curzons didn’t have the fortune to achieve their ambition.
“Originally, the plan was to build two more wings at Kedleston and a new church. But they were never built because the Curzons ran out of money. This means the 12th century church still exists.”
Above the crypt, Curzon built a memorial showing himself lying next to his first wife, Mary, while he was still alive. This was something his second wife, Grace, had to tolerate when she came into church.
Much of Kedleston was designed by the architect Robert Adam. He had “returned from a grand tour of Italy and had spent a lot of time in Rome,” Feely continued. “He had surveyed the ruins of the palace of the emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia.
“In the Curzons, he had a client who was really interested in classical culture. The architect was all fired up with what he had learned in Rome, and came back full of ideas of how to recreate the incredible things he had seen. So we have a temple front at Kedleston that is meant to transport you back to the ancient days of Rome. We have the atrium of a villa that would been open to the sky but obviously that does not work in Derbyshire.”
What is spectacular is the hall with 20 fluted columns and a marble floor. Bridges said: “I’ve been told this is the most important floor in the whole of the National Trust. The marble hall and state floor were used for very grand occasions.
“George Nathaniel Curzon was inviting people in to look at the floor which was having some issues of movement which we still have today.”
Sandhu, who had placed Diwali diyas on the floor and hopes to do so again, described it as “our pièce de resistance”.
Curzon brought back crateloads of artefacts, which are displayed in the museum at Kedleston. “We have less than half of his collection because the greater part went to the V&A,” said Bridges. “He wanted the finer pieces to go to the V&A but we have some fine pieces as well.”
The museum at Kedleston Hall
There is jewellery on display, along with photographs of Maharajahs, furniture, carpets – one was used in the Delhi Durbar of 1903 – and armaments, including swords and shields. The corridors have evocative photographs, including one of Lord and Lady Curzon standing by tigers he had shot, and images of caparisoned elephants from the Delhi Durbar. There are numerous animal trophies, among them a wild bison he had shot in Mysore in 1902.
There is now thought being given about whether the displays should be altered to reflect greater “cultural sensitivity”.
“You wouldn’t go to the National Gallery and see a religious painting displayed alongside a nude, for example. But at Kedleston, objects are arranged without necessarily that cultural awareness,” Feely said.
Penrhys added: “My role is to try to keep the objects from damage.”
One that gets more online searches than almost anything else is the Peacock dress worn by Lady Curzon at the Delhi Durbar which is “now at the conservation textiles conservation studio in Norfolk”, she said. It has iridescent bees’ wings and zardozi woven into the fabric,
In conservation, too, communities are being consulted.
Jeweller vnd furniture on display
“I suppose our more western way with conservation is to look at the material science, and its condition,” said Penrhys. “We are adding in aspects of care that are a lot more culturally based. For that, we have to speak to the people who connect with the objects. We looked at the way those objects were cared for in the past before they came here to Kedleston. We then give stakeholders a say in what they think should happen to the objects. It is part of the process of democratising the decision-making.”
After visiting Kedleston Hall, British Asians will have a deeper understanding of why Curzon – like Sir Winston Churchill later – did not want to lose India, and how the history of the two countries is inextricably linked.
I recently joined the incredible team at the Asian Sports Foundation. It is an honour to work alongside passionate individuals such as Shazia Ali, Harleen Kaur and Angus Martin. Since it was founded by Jug Johal, the Asian Sports Foundation has worked to transform inactivity into active living, promoting better wellbeing and greater representation of Asian communities in sport and physical activity.
This is a cause close to my heart. The undeniable power of sport and movement to improve both physical and mental health cannot be overstated. It is a message I have consistently championed, alongside a commitment to equity and inclusion, which is why I am so excited to contribute to a charity that truly embodies this ethos.
In recent weeks, my conversations with Parkinson’s UK and various Asian community groups about boosting wellbeing through activity have shed light on a critical issue: Parkinson’s is on the rise, yet awareness and support remain limited, especially within South Asian communities. The stories I have heard have been deeply moving and point to a pressing need for change.
One person told me about their family’s experience. “We didn’t know much about Parkinson’s at the time,”
They said – a sentiment echoed by many. There is little information about the condition within the community, and it is often shrouded in stigma. In some circles, it is even viewed as a ‘curse’. The diagnosis came as a devastating blow. “We were shocked. All our dreams and plans to see the world came crashing down.” Their honesty reflects the profound emotional impact and isolation many families face.
For those unfamiliar, Parkinson’s is a complex, progressive brain condition. It is the fastest-growing neurological condition in the world, affecting around 153,000 people in the UK. With over 40 symptoms – ranging from tremors and pain to anxiety – and no known cure, the challenges are immense. But staying active and connected can make a real difference.
Parkinson’s is a complex, progressive brain conditionInstagram/ itsmitamistry
This is where organisations like Parkinson’s UK are so vital. They support people at every stage of the Parkinson’s journey, and their efforts to raise awareness in marginalised and ethnic communities are commendable. Their work builds on a strong foundation, which includes local events, essential support services and a pioneering Race Equality in Research programme, aimed at improving understanding and treatment across all communities.
My aim – and a key focus for the Asian Sports Foundation – is to amplify these efforts through inclusive, impactful programmes. We want to act as a bridge, connecting communities with the support and information they need. If you or someone you know is
experiencing symptoms, please know that you are not alone. The journey can be overwhelming, but there are people who care and resources that can help.
I would genuinely love to hear from you. Share your experiences, tell me how we can help, and if you are part of a grassroots community group, let us work together to break the silence and build a more informed, supportive environment for all.
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Bollyday has rewritten the rulebook on clubbing – and frankly, it feels long overdue.
Whoever said you need moonlight to find magic clearly has not stepped onto the spectacular, LED-lit dance floor at this daytime Bollywood bonanza.
From the moment the doors opened at Popworld in London, Bollyday fizzed with the kind of unfiltered joy usually reserved for weddings or late-night parties – except here, you still get home in time for a proper night’s sleep (and Sunday roast prep).
The 4pm to 9pm window is sheer genius. No frantic dash for the last tube, no overpriced taxis, and no bleary-eyed ‘never again’ mantra the next morning.
Parents can drop in after football practice, dog owners can pop out without fretting about late-night walks, and early-rising professionals can toast the weekend without sacrificing their productivity.
Daytime parties are not new – but Bollyday bottles the concept, shakes it with Bollywood sparkle, and serves it ice cold.
If British Asian DJ royalty had a throne, Shai Guy would be polishing the crown. His reputation precedes him – yet he still managed to overdeliver.
He slid through an eclectic mix of 70s and 80s disco-era anthems, noughties earworms and today’s stadium-shaking hits.
Just when you thought you had the set figured out, he dropped slick western house cuts and Afrobeat flourishes that sent hands skyward.
Bollyday
The dance floor never emptied – not once. Even the self-confessed two-left-feet brigade found themselves belting out choruses they did not know they knew.
Cross-generational Bollywood adventurers shared the space in perfect, sweat-soaked harmony.
It is rare to see Gen Z TikTokers trading moves with aunties reliving their early 90s bhangra gig glory – but Bollyday makes that collision feel entirely natural.
Non-Asian guests turned up out of curiosity and left draped in imaginary chiffon, convinced they had stumbled onto the set of a Karan Johar epic.
Set in the heart of London, the venue is as convenient as it is atmospheric.
The retro-futuristic dance floor glowed underfoot – think Saturday Night Fever meets Dil Dhadakne Do.
Scenic photo ops were practically compulsory; birthday crews made full use, balloons in tow.
British Asian nights out have come a long way since the daytime bhangra circuits of the 80s and 90s.
Bollyday is the next leap: an inclusive, wellness-friendly, rhythm-heavy celebration that proves you do not need darkness to turn up the heat.
With the mental health benefits of dancing well documented, this matinee rave feels as good for the soul as it does for the step count.
Bollyday
Uniqueness, practicality, cross-generational appeal and a stellar soundtrack make Bollyday an instant classic – expect copycats soon.
But for now, mark your diaries: the next Bollyday returns to London on Saturday, 6th September, with plans to go nationwide shortly afterwards.
Tickets will evaporate faster than a filmi teardrop.
For its trailblazing timetable, sublime venue and Shai Guy’s pitch-perfect DJing, Bollyday earns a full, unreserved five stars.
Go once and you will wonder why we ever surrendered our sleep to nightlife in the first place.
This week sees the release of Aamir Khan’s new film Sitare Zameen Par. Marketed as a ‘spiritual sequel’ to the multi-award-winning 2007 drama Taare Zameen Par, the film is in fact a remake of the 2018 Spanish movie Campeones — and it appears to be packed with copied moments from start to finish.
Social media users have already forensically compared the trailer with the original and pointed out identical scenes, alerting Hindi cinema fans to the 2023 American remake (Champions) and a 2022 German version (Weil wir Champions sind).
Unlike the many Bollywood productions that shamelessly steal storylines without credit, Sitare Zameen Par is an official adaptation. But it is arriving in an era where the remake formula no longer works — and now feels like a desperate, lazy shortcut.
Judging by the performance of most remakes in the past decade, the model is no longer viable. In today’s digital age, recycling someone else’s work is not just commercially risky — it is cultural suicide.
Aamir Khan
In the so-called golden age — or more accurately, the morally grey era — of Hindi cinema, producers routinely lifted entire plots from international films or South Indian blockbusters.
Streaming platforms did not exist, YouTube had not yet archived global cinema, and social media had not empowered legions of film detectives gleefully exposing plagiarism frame by frame. Bollywood operated in a vacuum — and in that silence, rip-offs flourished.
Aamir Khan, ironically now on the receiving end of backlash after the ill-fated Forrest Gump remake Laal Singh Chaddha, was once a master of the borrowed blockbuster.
Akele Hum Akele Tum was essentially Kramer vs. Kramer with playback singing. Mann was a musical version of An Affair to Remember. Ghulam borrowed heavily from On the Waterfront. Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin was a near-copy of It Happened One Night, and Raja Hindustani drew inspiration from Jab Jab Phool Khile.
Even Ghajini was a remake of a Tamil film, which had itself stolen the core idea from Memento. These films succeeded because most of the audience had never seen the originals.
They were cinematic secrets whispered among cinephiles, not dissected in Instagram reels or exposed in viral X threads.
Back then, it was so easy to plagiarise without consequence that legendary screenwriting duo Salim–Javed regularly lifted scenes and story ideas from global cinema for their 1970s blockbusters.
In the following decade, Javed Akhtar reportedly pitched the story of Main Azaad Hoon (1989) to producers as an original concept — they only discovered after production began that it was lifted from the Hollywood classic Meet John Doe.
While occasional remakes like Kabir Singh and Drishyam have succeeded, most Hindi remakes in recent years have crashed and burned — especially in the age of social media, streamers, and video sharing sites.
The painful list of failures from just the last five years includes Bachchhan Paandey, Jersey, HIT: The First Case, Vikram Vedha, Thank God, Mili, Shehzada, Selfiee, Bholaa, Sarfira, Baby John and Deva.
These films have become redundant because the originals are often available online — and even if you are unaware of the source, someone in the comments section will be happy to point it out.
Hrithik Roshan
Now with Sitare Zameen Par, the cycle repeats. The original Taare Zameen Par worked because it was original and honest.
It was not borrowed from overseas or adapted from the South — it emerged from a sincere concern for children with dyslexia, a subject Bollywood had never explored before.
Trying to recreate that emotional impact through a tired remake formula risks tarnishing the very legacy Aamir Khan helped create.
This is not just another film — it is his third-layer adaptation of a story that has already been remade multiple times in other languages.
But this is not only about Aamir. The industry as a whole must confront the fact that today’s audience is smarter, more connected, and far less forgiving.
In what is arguably the worst creative slump in Hindi cinema history, original storytelling is no longer a luxury — it is a necessity.
Instead of spending crores (over £100,000 or ₹1 crore) on designer costumes, scenic locations and remake rights, Bollywood should be investing in screenwriters.
Remember them? The underpaid, under-credited creatives with actual ideas? They are the ones capable of pulling this industry out of its current rut.
There is a generation of hungry young filmmakers and writers eager to tell new stories. But their scripts are gathering dust while remake kings chase the faded echoes of past glory.
It is time to retire the remake — or at least cut them back drastically.
Audiences deserve better. Bollywood deserves better. Hindi cinema cannot keep indulging the egos of creatives who, frankly, have run out of creativity.
That includes even the so-called perfectionists like Aamir Khan, whose own last home production Laapataa Ladies was not spared plagiarism accusations.
A struggling industry cannot build a future by xeroxing the past. It is time to stop photocopying and start creating.
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Its appeal lies in its unpredictability, emotional expressiveness, and the thrill of collecting
A mischievous elf-like toy called Labubu has gone from niche collectable to global cultural phenomenon. Created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and popularised by Chinese toy giant Pop Mart, Labubu has captured the imaginations of collectors from Beijing to London and beyond, with celebrity endorsements and long queues at retail stores fuelling its rapid rise.
The birth of Labubu
Labubu originated as a character in The Monsters, a picture book series by Lung. With its signature wide eyes, pointed ears and toothy grin, the figure was designed to be kind-hearted yet chaotic, charming in a deliberately imperfect way. The name “Labubu” itself doesn’t mean anything; it was invented for the character.
The toy first gained traction when Pop Mart acquired licensing rights in 2019. Pop Mart, founded by Wang Ning in 2010, had already found success with blind-box toys—sealed packages that keep the buyer unaware of which toy they’ve purchased until they open it. This model, combined with Labubu’s offbeat appeal, became a winning formula.
Global popularity and celebrity power
Although Labubu gained popularity in China early on, its international breakthrough came post-pandemic. Fans describe the toy as an “anti-cute” character that resonates with those tired of perfect aesthetics. Its appeal lies in its unpredictability, emotional expressiveness, and the thrill of collecting.
The Labubu frenzy went global in 2024, particularly after Thai K-pop star Lisa from BLACKPINK posted about the dolls. Soon after, global celebrities including Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, and David Beckham were seen with Labubu toys, turning the quirky character into a fashion accessory and internet talking point. Rihanna, for instance, was photographed with a Labubu clipped to her designer handbag, while Kardashian showed off her full collection online.
Booming sales and global reach
The celebrity exposure helped drive international demand. Pop Mart now operates over 2,000 vending machines—nicknamed "roboshops"—as well as more than 130 stores in over 30 countries. By the end of 2024, nearly 40% of its total revenue came from outside mainland China.
Sales have soared, and Pop Mart’s market value now surpasses that of Western toy giants like Mattel and Hasbro. In early 2025, the company reported a rise of nearly 500% in international revenue compared to the previous year.
The role of scarcity and surprise
A key part of Labubu’s success is its blind-box marketing strategy. Collectors never know exactly what version they’re getting; some are common, while rare “chaser” variants are far harder to find. This element of chance keeps consumers coming back for more. Some fans have even learned to weigh or shake boxes in hopes of guessing the contents.
Collector Desmond Tan, for example, says he often purchases multiple boxes in a single visit. He finds particular joy in identifying rare editions through feel alone, a practice now widespread among collectors.
Labubu dolls come in dozens of themed series, including “Exciting Macaron” and “Fall in Wild.” Limited editions and seasonal drops often sell out within minutes, both online and in-store. Prices range from £14 to £40 at retail, but rare items command much higher prices on resale markets.
Cultural soft power
The Chinese government has celebrated Labubu’s international popularity as a form of soft power. State media outlets like Xinhua have described the toy as an example of "Cool China"—a creative cultural product that resonates globally. This aligns with a wider push to promote Chinese intellectual property abroad, alongside video games and animated films.
Despite the success, the popularity has led to concerns over counterfeit products. Chinese customs officials recently confiscated over 70,000 fake Labubu toys, a sign of just how widespread the demand has become.
More than a toy
For many fans, Labubu represents more than just a collectable. It is an escape, a conversation piece, and in some cases, a personal symbol. Its curious charm, global reach, and viral appeal show how a character with no clear backstory can still capture hearts across continents.
What began as a quirky elf in a Hong Kong picture book has now become a cultural icon, equal parts weird, adorable and unstoppable.
A massive new cybersecurity report has revealed what experts are calling the largest data breach in history, involving over 16 billion login credentials. The records, uncovered by researchers at Cybernews, appear to come from a variety of sources and have raised alarm bells across the tech and cybersecurity industries.
Unprecedented scale of exposure
The data is spread across 30 different datasets, with individual troves containing between tens of millions and more than 3.5 billion credentials each. In total, the exposed records add up to 16 billion, a staggering number that equates to more than two credentials for every person on Earth.
Most of these credentials appear to have been collected through infostealer malware and other illicit methods. These tools typically capture usernames, passwords, tokens, cookies, and other metadata from compromised systems, packaging the data in a uniform structure, typically a URL followed by login details and passwords.
Not old data, but fresh and dangerous
What makes this breach especially concerning is the recency of the data. Researchers confirm that the datasets are not simply recycled from old breaches, but largely consist of new logs collected in recent months. Many include access credentials to services such as Apple, Facebook, Google, GitHub, Zoom, and Telegram.
Although some of the login pages referenced in the data are from popular global platforms, cybersecurity researcher Bob Diachenko clarified there was no centralised data breach at these tech giants. Instead, credentials linked to their login portals were likely captured via infostealers installed on individual users’ devices.
Multiple datasets, unclear ownership
The 30 datasets uncovered differ significantly in size and origin. The largest, containing over 3.5 billion records, is suspected to be linked to Portuguese-speaking regions. Other datasets hint at Russian sources or specific platforms like Telegram. Many have generic names such as “logins” or “credentials”, providing little insight into their exact source.
Despite the vast quantity of data, the researchers have been unable to identify a single entity behind the breach. It remains unclear whether the datasets were compiled by security researchers monitoring for leaks or by cybercriminal groups aggregating stolen information for exploitation.
While the datasets were only briefly exposed — typically via unsecured Elasticsearch or cloud storage instances — this short window was enough for experts to confirm their contents and raise concerns.
A blueprint for cybercrime
Experts warn that this is not merely a leak, but “a blueprint for mass exploitation.” The exposed credentials, which include sensitive data such as tokens and cookies, could be used for a range of attacks: from account takeovers and identity theft to ransomware campaigns and targeted phishing.
This kind of large-scale credential exposure is particularly dangerous for organisations lacking robust cybersecurity measures, including multi-factor authentication (MFA). Without these defences, hackers could easily use stolen credentials to breach systems and escalate attacks internally.
How users and organisations can respond
With the source of the leak uncertain and the extent of the damage unclear, there are few direct actions individuals can take. However, cybersecurity experts strongly recommend several key practices:
Use a password manager to generate and store strong, unique passwords for each service.
Regularly review accounts for unauthorised activity.
Run regular malware scans to detect and remove infostealers.
Diachenko, who contributed to the Cybernews report, stressed that while the breach doesn’t indicate failures at platforms like Facebook or Google, it still poses a widespread risk. “Credentials we’ve seen in infostealer logs contained login URLs to Apple, Facebook, and Google login pages,” he noted.
This implies that while the platforms themselves may be secure, any user who has been compromised by infostealer malware could unknowingly provide cybercriminals access to those services.
A reminder of growing data breach risks
This record-setting exposure is just the latest in a growing trend of large-scale data breaches. The fact that datasets of this size continue to emerge, often unnoticed for months, highlights the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats.
As digital services become more embedded in daily life, the potential fallout from data breaches expands. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for vigilant data hygiene, both for individual users and the organisations that serve them.