Twitter users are experiencing a glitch that causes Circle tweets, which are meant to be seen by a small number of people (like an Instagram Close Friends story), to appear on the algorithmically created For You timeline. This increases the likelihood of your ostensibly private posts getting past containment and reaching an unwanted audience, which might quickly lead to awkward situations.
The error was discovered when a user was able to see tweets from one of his followers on his For You timeline. Although the user’s account was public, his retweet option was disabled. The tweet vanished the moment it was clicked on. Upon investigation, the user found that the tweet was the part of a Tweet Circle and he was not a member of it.
The issue in this scenario was not grave given that the discussions were pertaining to feeling “left out” for not watching “Succession”. However, in instances where people publish complaints about their jobs, rumours about their crush, or even nudes, this flaw could have serious repercussions.
In majority of the cases, users who follow the poster but are not in their Circle tend to most frequently see Circle tweets in the For You timeline. There have been instances where people have claimed that their Circle tweets are visible to people who don’t even follow them.
Confirmed someone I'm not even following was able to see a private Twitter Circle tweet (thank you @TheSahilDev)
— Theo – t3.gg (@t3dotgg) April 8, 2023
This hurts trust in the platform a lot. Should be top priority @TwitterEng pic.twitter.com/BCYPkikJ2p
An information security engineer named Ian Coldwater took to Twitter and posted screenshots demonstrating how some people who weren’t in their Circles group were able to like their tweets.
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.
— Ian Coldwater ?? (@IanColdwater) April 10, 2023
Twitter Circles aren't private. Don't post anything you want private in them. pic.twitter.com/p5uzlmIkuJ
A former Twitch tech engineer, Theo Browne narrated an incident when a friend who wasn’t in their Twitter Circle liked a tweet that he should not have been able to view in the first place. He also revealed that many users he didn’t follow were able to view and like the Circles post.
Some Twitter users were of the opinion that Twitter’s algorithm probably takes into account the replies posted on other people’s Circle Tweets. Another twitter user said that followers who weren’t part of the Circle were able to view the “risqué” images posted on it.
Off late, several bugs have been reported in Twitter Circle. However, proof pertaining to the breach of private circle postings had not come to light until now. As TechCrunch noted two months ago, tweets from Circle frequently appear without the green banner designating that they are shared only with an implicit group of people.
A former Twitch tech engineer, Theo Browne narrated an incident when a friend who wasn’t in their Twitter Circle liked a tweet that he should not have been able to view in the first place. He also revealed that many users he didn’t follow were able to view and like the Circles post.
Some Twitter users were of the opinion that Twitter’s algorithm probably takes into account the replies posted on other people’s Circle Tweets. Another twitter user said that followers who weren’t part of the Circle were able to view the “risqué” images posted on it.
Off late, several bugs have been reported in Twitter Circle. However, proof pertaining to the breach of private circle postings had not come to light until now. As TechCrunch noted two months ago, tweets from Circle frequently appear without the green banner designating that they are shared only with an implicit group of people.
But these tweets only appeared for Circle members, and you could tell they were Circle tweets because you couldn’t retweet them. While that bug itself was troubling, the flaw that makes private tweets public is even more perilous. Another grave privacy concern is that you may be able to see tweets from users who have blocked you.
Read | 10 Best Scanner Apps You Must Install
But these tweets only appeared for Circle members, and you could tell they were Circle tweets because you couldn’t retweet them. While that bug itself was troubling, the flaw that makes private tweets public is even more perilous. Another grave privacy concern is that you may be able to see tweets from users who have blocked you.
