Proprietary source code leak: Problems galore for Twitter

A?leak of the excerpts of Twitter ’s source code powering the microblogging platform and its internal tools, posted by a pseudonymous user of the popular development platform GitHub , known only by the generic handle of Free Speech Enthusiast, has added to the long list of woes confronting top boss Elon Musk. The controversial CEO is already facing flak for the layoffs and harsh cost-cutting measures in a bid to boost the platform’s profitability besides having to see a bulk of advertisers deserting the platform fearing an environment and culture conducive to hate speech on Twitter that could in turn pose a reputational risk for them.

The leak has not only momentarily revealed Twitter’s core product insights to the world at large but has also given people with ulterior motives to find and exploit security flaws and systemic vulnerabilities. Although GitHub has removed the source code leak, Twitter has now launched an all-out effort to unmask the Free Speech Enthusiast GitHub account, along with all those who interacted with the leaked code. It has filed for a subpoena at the US District Court for the Northern District of California. The big hope is that GitHub will be compelled to hand over IP addresses, contact information, and access logs associated with the leak episode.

• Meanwhile, Musk has been aggressively promoting the company’s subscription service, Twitter Blue, as an alternative revenue stream. He has also been indulging in his inimitably conflicting and confounding statements
• In response to a CNN report citing Musk’s internal memo stating that Twitter’s value is now less than half of the USD 44 billion he paid for it, he has counterclaimed that Twitter’s valuation will someday exceed $250 billion
• He recently tweeted that Twitter only had USD one billion in cash to barely cover four months’ expenses, but his radical changes will now script a turnaround and break-even is expected in Q2

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