Twitter Circles, a feature designed to facilitate secure and controlled sharing among trusted friends, has experienced a major privacy breach. Users have reported their private content, including nude photos, appearing in the feeds of strangers. This situation highlights the platform’s inability to protect users’ privacy and raises significant concerns about its functionality and confidentiality.
Multiple users have reported a bug in Twitter Circles that causes Circle tweets, intended for a select audience, to appear on the “For You” timeline. This exposes private posts to unintended recipients, potentially leading to awkward situations or serious repercussions. The issue appears to affect users who follow the poster but are not part of their Circle. In some cases, Circle tweets have even reached beyond the user’s followers.
Former Twitter senior data scientist Melissa Ingle described the breach as a major violation of trust. In contrast, former Twitch engineer Theo Browne criticized the company’s inability to filter private content properly. Browne also noted that Twitter’s recommendation algorithm might not adequately filter out private content. Twitter, now owned by Elon Musk, has not yet officially addressed the issue or provided a timeline for its resolution.
The breach occurred during a tumultuous time for the company, with its controversial CEO making questionable decisions. Users affected by the breach, such as author Abraham Josephine Riesman, have urged others to delete their private content on Twitter Circles until the issue is resolved.
Our Recommendation
Twitter has had a history of issues with Circle tweets, but this recent glitch, exposing private tweets, poses a more significant threat. The platform has also experienced other privacy concerns, such as being able to see tweets from users who have blocked you. Given these security concerns, we at Hacked.com strongly recommend that users stop using Twitter to post personal information or engage in personal messaging.
Users are advised to exercise caution when sharing sensitive information on Twitter, as the privacy of their posts may be compromised. Everyone must understand the risks of sharing confidential information on social media platforms and take necessary precautions to protect their privacy.
Featured image by Midjourney and Jonas Borchgrevink.