Twitter has disclosed that a significant portion of its proprietary source code, which serves as the foundation for the platform’s various functions and internal tools, was posted on GitHub, a widely-used code repository now owned by Microsoft, under the handle “FreeSpeechEnthusiast.”
While GitHub complied with Twitter’s request to remove the data under a copyright infringement claim, the leak exposed Twitter to potential vulnerabilities as it provided outsiders with an insight into the company’s internal workings. To identify the user behind the account, Twitter has requested that GitHub provide the names, addresses, telephone numbers, emails, social media profiles, and IP addresses of all parties who posted, downloaded, or uploaded the leaked data.
Twitter has also launched an internal investigation into the incident. Such leaks highlight the ongoing challenge faced by tech companies in protecting their intellectual property, trade secrets, and other confidential information from theft and unauthorized disclosures, which could undermine their competitive advantage and reputation.
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