Yesterday, I killed a Gemini API key.
Not out of anger. Out of necessity.
The key had served faithfully for about a year, powering various experiments, prototypes, and half-finished projects. Then, sometime in its retirement, it escaped containment.
I don’t know exactly when it happened. I don’t know exactly where.
What I do know is that over the last month, someone, somewhere, was using it.
Not aggressively. Not maliciously enough to make headlines. Just a handful of requests every day. Different models. Different times. Like a quiet houseguest who never formally introduced himself.
The first clue arrived as a ₹600 payment notification.
I checked the usage logs.
Sure enough.
My forgotten API key had apparently found a second career.
So I did what any responsible developer would do. I revoked it and moved on.
Total damage: ₹600.
Total value of the lesson: considerably more.
There is a moment in every developer’s life when their code stops being a local folder and becomes part of the internet. The internet is very good at finding things you forgot existed.
Old servers.
Test endpoints.
Unused databases.
And apparently, retired Gemini API keys.
The key is gone now.
Wherever its mysterious adopter is, I hope they enjoyed the free tokens while they lasted.
Rest in peace man.
You were never supposed to be public.