Bug in Twitter platform may have allowed advertising partners to view some user data

• The exposed information such as users’ country code, their device type and their engagement with the ad.
• The exposed data dates back from May 2018 to August 5, 2019.

Twitter has recently found and fixed a security issue on its platform. The bug caused some user data to be shared with advertising partners without the users’ consent.

What happened?

In a blog post, Twitter admitted the fault by saying that the lapse stemmed from issues with the platform’s settings. The company explained that users who have clicked or viewed an ad on the platform’s mobile app since May 2018 may have had certain data compromised.

Twitter further added that since September 2018, some users have also been shown ads ‘“based on inferences we made about the devices you use, even if you did not give us permission to do so.’

What data was exposed?

The exposed data dates back from May 2018 to August 5, 2019, and includes information such as users’ country code, their device type and their engagement with the ad.

How Twitter addressed the issue?

Twitter said it is investigating the matter to determine the extent of the impact. "We are still conducting our investigation to determine who may have been impacted and If we discover more information that is useful we will share it," stated Twitter.

In addition, it is also taking steps to ensure that no such lapse would happen again in the future. The company has also asked users to check their settings to ensure everything is in order.