boAt Begins Probe After Personal Data Of Over 7.5 Mn Users Leaked On Dark Web

Hours after reports surfaced that personal data of over 7.5 Mn boAt users were allegedly leaked on the dark web, the audio products and smartwatch maker said that it has started an investigation into the matter.

“boAt is aware of recent claims regarding a potential data leak involving customer information. We take these claims seriously and have immediately launched a comprehensive investigation,” a company spokesperson said.

Although the exact cause still remains uncertain, it is expected that the breach was due to an internal issue or a misconfigured third-party database.

The personal data of more than 7.5 Mn boAt customers allegedly surfaced on the dark web, comprising sensitive information such as names, addresses, contact numbers, email IDs, and customer IDs. This data, totalling around 2GB, is reportedly available for sale.

On April 5, an individual identifying as ShopifyGUY asserted responsibility for infiltrating the data of boAt Lifestyle, a manufacturer of audio products and smartwatches. The hacker disclosed a trove of breached files containing PII details for approximately 7,550,000 customers.

Founded by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta in 2015, boAt operates in the larger audio and wearables markets and sells products such as headphones, smart watches and speakers.

boAt began making its products in India in early 2022. Its cofounder and chief marketing officer Aman Gupta said earlier that 70% of the audio device giant’s products are made in India as of 2023.

boAt’s sales crossed the INR 3,000 Cr mark in the financial year ended March 31, 2023. The Delhi NCR-based startup’s operating revenue rose 18% to INR 3,376.7 Cr in the financial year 2022-23 (FY23) from INR 2,873 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

boAt earned INR 2,350.8 Cr in FY23 from the audio segment, which accounted for 70% of its operating revenue. The wearable segment contributed INR 901.5 Cr to boAt’s topline in the year.