Cineworld drama continues as users claim its website has suffered a ‘massive breach’

| Lifestyle Reporter Published September 18, 2026 12:26pm Updated September 18, 2026 12:26pm Cineworld has been heavily criticised by members for its recent website and booking system overhaul (Picture: Getty Images) It’s been a tough week for Cineworld. After the company launched a seemingly innocent new website and app, customers have branded the chain ‘appalling’ and ‘disturbing’ — and the drama shows no signs of slowing. Cine-gate all started on Tuesday September 15, when Cineworld Unlimited members received an email stating they ‘will no longer be able to book tickets for family members or friends who also have an Unlimited membership… each Unlimited member will need to book their own tickets’. Almost immediately, hundreds of the cinema’s most ‘loyal’ customers threatened to cut ties with the business, with many calling the rule change the ‘dumbest decision of the year’. One member even started a Change.org petition to try and pressure Cineworld to restore the original booking privileges. And now, the situation has levelled up. Over the past 24 hours, a number of Cineworld members have claimed that there has been a data breach on the updated site. The Cineworld drama has escalated to new heights (Picture: Getty Images) Is there a data breach on Cineworld’s website? Yesterday, Unlimited members were still reeling from Cineworld’s recent rule change – which, in a nutshell, means anyone with an all-you-can-watch cinema subscription can no longer book tickets on behalf of another Unlimited member. But quickly, that became overshadowed by an even bigger complaint. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Some members started posting on X that they were able to access other people’s data within their own profile. One concerned user, @citizenMRIS, wrote: ‘Ok… It’s a not a joke anymore. I can access other people’s tickets on my account. @cineworld this is really bad’. Heyyyyyy @cineworldLoving the new part of the updated site that allows me to access random peoples data through my profile everytime I refresh ! Can’t see my own bookings but can see random peoples bookings from all over the UK and even their payment details are linked :-)— 𝕶𝖆𝖙🕷️ (@dyspraxicdoll) September 17, 2026 Another equally concerned member, @LewisDWhite, shared: ‘The new @cineworld app is horrific. Not only can you no longer book tickets for your unlimited friends and family, but I’m now seeing bookings of other people. ‘What the hell is wrong with you?’ Meanwhile, another user branded it a ‘massive GDPR breach.’ Ticket information aside, an even more concerning post appears to suggest that at least one individual may also have been able to access another member’s private Mastercard details. Yesterday, Cineworld did its best to try and reassure members, engaging with a number of users on X. While the team initially implied that the bank card data breach was the ‘only report of this issue’ they’d had, another post from the Cineworld account appeared to acknowledge the possibility of further breaches, stating: ‘If you are able to see any payment details that are not your own please could you send us a DM with the relevant screenshots so this can be investigated please?’ With so much uproar online it’s unsurprising hundreds of members have threatened to jump ship to one of Cineworld’s competitors. Clearly eager to monopolise on the moment, Odeon even poked fun at the scandal themselves, sharing a meme on X alongside the caption: ‘The greenest flag? A myLIMITLESS membership.’ Metro has reached out to Cineworld for comment. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk Arrow MORE: PS5 fans troll Sony over whether its new headsets are digital or not Arrow MORE: Deepfakes and chatbots are ‘turbocharging rape culture’ – and it’s reaching primary schools Arrow MORE: Trump brags about his golf skills but complains he ‘doesn’t have enough time’ for it