Source code is an important asset in any program or website. It’s no wonder that this secret must be tightly guarded by the respective owners. So when Twitter’s source code leaked online, they had to take quick action.
The Twitter source code was leaked on GitHub and no one even noticed. Many are unaware of how long the source code has been uploaded to GitHub and it only surfaced recently.
Twitter’s Source Code Leaked on GitHub and No One Noticed
Twitter reported this leak to the US District Court last Friday (3/24). Twitter claimed copyright infringement and requested the takedown of the page containing the source code.
According to a source cited by The New York Times via TechRadar, the source code was leaked by a former employee who was part of a mass layoff some time ago. The reason behind this has not been disclosed by Twitter.
Since the social media company was taken over by Elon Musk, it has undergone several rounds of employee layoffs. It’s not surprising that some employees do not accept these decisions and leak the company’s valuable assets for nefarious purposes.
GitHub Asked to Reveal the Identity of the Leaker
With this leak, Twitter is concerned about potential privacy issues as it may have access to user data. Twitter has not yet concluded who the culprit is behind this event, as they laid off many employees at once.
As a result of this incident, GitHub has been asked by the US District Court in California to disclose information regarding the identity of the leaker. Apart from that, CEO Elon Musk had previously planned to open up some of their source code to the public, especially those related to tweet recommendations.
