Digital
Two AI apps exposed 12TB of user data on Google Play
Video AI Art Generator leaked 1.5 million images and 385,000 videos, IDMerit spilled KYC documents across 25 countries.
MUMBAI: AI apps promising magic transformations just pulled off a vanishing act of privacy leaving 12 terabytes of user secrets wide open for anyone to grab. Security researchers have exposed a major data breach tied to two Android apps previously listed on the Google Play Store, highlighting ongoing risks in the rush to deploy AI-powered tools. The first, Video AI Art Generator & Maker from developer Codeway, surpassed 500,000 installs and amassed over 11,000 reviews before the flaw was uncovered.
A misconfigured Google Cloud Storage bucket left the entire media library unprotected no authentication required. Forbes-cited analysis revealed more than 1.5 million user-uploaded images, over 385,000 videos, and millions of AI-generated files, totalling 12TB or 8.27 million items collected since the app launched on 13 June 2023. The app has since been removed from public search on the Play Store.
The problem didn’t stop there. Researchers found a similar exposure in Codeway’s second app, IDMerit, which handled Know Your Customer (KYC) verification. Leaked data included identity documents, addresses, phone numbers, and other personal details used for financial and onboarding processes. The breach impacted users in the United States and at least 25 other countries, including Germany, France, China, and Brazil. Codeway reportedly secured the IDMerit bucket on 3 February 2026.
Investigators traced the root cause to a common and dangerous practice, hardcoding sensitive credentials passwords, API keys, encryption secrets directly into app source code. Automated bots scanning public repositories can snatch these in seconds. Cybernews researchers noted that 72 per cent of analysed Play Store apps exhibited similar vulnerabilities.
The incidents serve as a stark reminder for users, AI-editing tools and identity-verification apps from lesser-known developers can carry hidden risks. Security experts recommend checking a developer’s track record, looking for Google’s “Verified Developer” badge, carefully reviewing requested permissions, and avoiding uploads of sensitive documents unless absolutely necessary.
In an era where AI promises to create, edit, and verify almost anything, these leaks show that the real risk isn’t always the tech failing, it’s the shortcuts developers take when rushing it to market.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
