Twitter users should always think twice before tweeting, but now users should be extra cautious.
News broke earlier this week that Twitter Circles have been having major security issues, making semi-private tweets public. Mashable reports Twitter Circles were introduced last year, allowing users to restrict specific tweets to a carefully selected list of pre-approved followers.
Somehow, a bug in the feature resulted in private tweets appearing on For You feeds of users who weren’t given access to them. Certain users weren’t even following the original poster. It’s an alarming violation of privacy for anyone who trusted Twitter’s assurances. Several Twitter users warn others who use the feature, especially those who use it for nudes, to be more than careful.
I made a Twitter Circle with one person in it and posted this tweet for science. This was the result. Two people I don’t follow saw the tweet & liked it. One of those people doesn’t follow me either.
Twitter Circles aren’t private. Don’t post anything you want private in them. pic.twitter.com/p5uzlmIkuJ
— Ian Coldwater
(@IanColdwater) April 10, 2023
Some users took the comedic approach, enjoying the chaos of the day.
Twitter Circles not being private is spinning my world upside down today. pic.twitter.com/sQj1p4qSK9
—
Sierra
While many weren’t paying attention, some that use Twitter as their right hand immediately noticed something was wrong. Adam Moussa, a media worker from New York, told BuzzFeed he knew something was off about 25 minutes after he posted something to his Twitter Circle on April 7. He then got a notification that an unfamiliar name had liked the tweet meant for select eyes only. “I was like, wait, what?” Moussa said.
“I pull up the tweet, and I look at who’s liked it. I see there’s two people that I don’t know that follow me that are not in the Circle who saved the tweet.”
Twitter owner, Elon Musk, has been silent on the issue. As sources reached out for comment, the 51-year-old father and billionaire responded with “poop” emojis.
