{
  "id": 18454219,
  "title": "Google Cloud says it deleted leaked presidential info at Korean gov't request",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/google-cloud-says-it-deleted-leaked-presidential-info-at-korean-govt",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-06T06:37:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/society/20261106/google-cloud-says-it-deleted-leaked-presidential-info-at-korean-govt-request"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Google Cloud has disclosed that it promptly removed personal information belonging to the Korean president and his wife from its VirusTotal platform, following a request from Korean authorities. This incident occurred after the malware analysis platform inadvertently hosted sensitive data from the presidential jet during President Lee Jae Myung's European trip in June. The data pertaining to 168 individuals was removed by Google Cloud immediately upon verifying the government's request. The company elaborated on the matter in a statement provided to The Korea Times. VirusTotal operates by scanning files and URLs concurrently utilizing over 70 antivirus engines and security tools. Submissions made via its public interface are shared with partnering security vendors, making these documents accessible to organizations subscribed to VirusTotal's enterprise databases. This implies that a file uploaded for standard malware evaluation could be made available to external entities. A media report on Monday revealed that a file containing the compromised information had been circulating on VirusTotal for approximately five months.",
  "summary": "Google Cloud told The Korea Times that it deleted the Korean first couple’s personal information, exposed for about five months on its VirusTotal platform, immediately after Korean authorities requested its cooperation. The response follows a finding that the malware analysis platform, owned by Google Cloud, had hosted sensitive personal information of 168 people aboard the presidential jet…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korean president's info deleted from Google Cloud's VirusTotal",
    "Data of 168 individuals removed upon government request",
    "VirusTotal shared compromised files with external entities"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The accidental exposure of sensitive presidential data on a public malware analysis platform highlights how security tools can inadvertently transform private information into accessible intelligence for enterprise subscribers.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}