Twitter Link-Shortening Raises Privacy Concerns

Some Twitter users are complaining about the privacy impact of a new effort undertaken by the popular microblogging service — ironically, an effort at least in part positioned as a way to better protect users from online dangers.

Twitter told its members this week that it’s going to begin enforcing OAuth among third-party sites and applications using its API as a means to better protect user authentication.

But Twitter also said it would scan and log all links shared through its new t.co link-shortening service — with the logging aspect of that plan erupting into a vocal chorus of users unhappy over the implications. eSecurity Planet takes a look.

Twitter is rolling out a pair of changes to the way users access the service through third-party applications, including one tweak that could spark some privacy concerns.

“When you click on a wrapped link, your request will pass through the Twitter service to check if the destination site is known to contain malware, and we then will forward you on to the destination URL,” the company said. “All of that should happen in an instant.”

Read the full story at eSecurity Planet:


Twitter Retools App, Link Policies, Sparks Privacy Worries