• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Twitter Says a Bug Exposed DMs and Protected Tweets to Developers

By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Lisa Marie Segarra
Lisa Marie Segarra
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 22, 2018, 11:17 AM ET

Some Twitter users recently got a message saying their direct messages or protected tweets may have accidentally been sent to developers “who were not authorized to receive them.”

Twitter said that the issue affected 1% of users and required a very specific set of circumstances to happen. Additionally, Twitter said it had no evidence any developers actually did receive any messages they were not intended to, but said it couldn’t rule out the possibility that it happened either. However, users voiced concern that the bug was found Sept. 10 and were only notified beginning Friday.

The fact that this is the second security breach this year didn’t help matters, either.

Earlier this year, Twitter said it mistakenly saved users passwords in plaintext in an internal log that was used by staff and asked users to change their passwords. On top of that, Twitter is also still receiving heat after many users were found locked out of their accounts. Twitter said the action was taken against users who were under 13 or whose birthdays showed they may have been under 13 when they signed up for the service.

More details on the conditions needed for the problem to occur can be found in its blog post on the issue.

About the Author
By Lisa Marie Segarra
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

guinness beer
AIFood and drink
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Jake AngeloMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Elon Musk walks surrounded by men in suits
LawElon Musk
Elon Musk is escalating his feud with a Delaware judge over a ‘heart’ on a LinkedIn post
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
chris power
SuccessJobs
A CEO trying to reindustrialize America says blue-collar pay is headed for ‘massive hyperinflation’ and kids should skip college to become welders
By Jake AngeloMarch 30, 2026
2 hours ago
Mark Zuckerberg (L), Lauren Sanchez (C) and partner of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, attend the inauguration of Donald Trump
SuccessWealth
Even billionaires aren’t safe: This year’s market slump has wiped $75 billion from the wealth of Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg
By Preston ForeMarch 30, 2026
4 hours ago
leagh
CommentarySoftware
I’m a CEO who oversees $9.5 trillion in spend data. AI’s winners are already decided
By Leagh TurnerMarch 30, 2026
5 hours ago
CryptoBlockchain
Ex–Blackstone staffers raise $25 million for startup Valinor, which aims to put private credit on the blockchain
By Ben WeissMarch 30, 2026
7 hours ago

Most Popular

Europe
413,793 KitKat bars stolen: 'Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue'
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago
Energy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. could soon be producing more chips than we can turn on. And China doesn’t have the same issue
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago
Energy
Russia was expecting a windfall from soaring oil prices, but relentless Ukrainian drone attacks are devastating nearly half its export capacity
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Some cried. Others were speechless. How frontline workers walked away with checks averaging $240,000, nearly equal Wall Street bonuses, when KKR sold their company
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago
Energy
Saudi pipeline to bypass Hormuz hits 7 million barrel goal
By Fortune EditorsMarch 28, 2026
2 days ago
Success
She left a Silicon Valley VC to solve a problem left untouched for 88 years. Now her bra brand is the fastest growing at Nordstrom
By Fortune EditorsMarch 29, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.