ASOS App Sends Hacker Push Notifications to Users, Shares Drop as Much as 11%

ASOS shares fell as much as 11% on October 6, their steepest single-day drop in a year, after users of the online fashion retailer's shopping app received push notifications from alleged hackers claiming they had compromised the company's data systems. The message, addressed to ASOS's IT department, threatened to leak customer data unless the company engaged with the attackers, with dozens of users confirming they received the unusual alert.

The breach notification appearing directly within ASOS's own app suggested the attackers had gained enough access to exploit the app's push notification infrastructure. ASOS had not publicly verified the breach as of midday, with the claim remaining unconfirmed, though the share price reaction reflected significant investor concern.

Snowflake shares also fell in response to the reports, given that the cloud data platform is widely used by retailers to store and process customer data, raising speculation about a possible connection. The episode underscored the market sensitivity around data security incidents and the reputational risk for consumer-facing platforms when customers receive breach warnings directly from a company's own app.