A screenshot claiming to show internal code from X began circulating on the social media platform Wednesday. The image, shared by a now-suspended user called “Anti-Fascist Turtle,” allegedly revealed a list of “protected users” who could violate X’s Terms of Service without consequences. The list included prominent right-wing figures like the Trump family and Andrew Tate and even allowed for the use of certain slurs.
The supposed leak quickly gained traction among left-leaning users on X. Many viewed the sudden suspension of the account that shared the image as evidence of its authenticity. The leak appeared to confirm suspicions some users had about special treatment for certain accounts on the platform.
However, numerous cybersecurity experts and tech-savvy users have expressed skepticism about the leak’s legitimacy. Maia Arson Crimew, a well-known hacker and researcher, pointed out several inconsistencies in the alleged code. These include the non-existence of the URL where the code was supposedly found, the implausible implementation of protected users in a config file, and the list’s apparent design to provoke left-wing users.
Former Twitter employees also noted that the depicted moderation system doesn’t align with the platform’s actual practices, at least prior to Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform.
Okta, the third-party verification service mentioned in the leak, has also officially weighed in. A spokesperson told journalist Benedict Garman, “We can confirm that this is definitely an invalid url and we confirm the screenshot is fake.”
The source of the alleged leak appears to be a chat room run by malware hosting service vx-underground. The group said it “was actually really hurtful” that the unverified information was shared publicly, suggesting it may have been leaked prematurely from internal discussions.
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X has also labeled posts discussing the issue as “Manipulated media.”
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