Twitter/X scores 3/5 for encryption, 2/5 for privacy, and 1/5 for track record. Overall safety score: 2/5.

What are the privacy concerns with Twitter/X?

X (Twitter) security review covering recent security changes, data practices, and account safety under new ownership.

Has Twitter/X been hacked before?

See our detailed analysis of Twitter/X's past security incidents and track record at The Opt-Out Project.

Is Twitter/X Safe? Security Review

Name: Is Twitter/X Safe? Security Review
Item: Twitter/X
Rating: 2
Author: The Opt-Out Project

Category: Social Media Company: X Corp. Reviewed February 10, 2026

2/5

Overall Safety Score

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Verdict: X's security has deteriorated significantly since the 2022 acquisition. Mass layoffs of security and trust & safety teams, combined with prior data breaches, make it one of the riskier major social platforms.

X (formerly Twitter) is a social media platform for public conversation acquired by Elon Musk in 2022. Since the acquisition, significant security staff layoffs and policy changes have raised concerns about the platform's safety posture.

Security Ratings Breakdown

Category	Score	Rating
Encryption	3/5
Privacy	2/5
Track Record	1/5

Security Features

Two-factor authentication (app-based; SMS 2FA now paywalled behind X Premium)
Password reset protection
Login verification
Privacy settings for DMs and mentions
Account deactivation option

Privacy Concerns

Collects extensive data for ad targeting
DMs are not end-to-end encrypted for most users
User data shared with advertisers and data partners
Post-acquisition privacy policy expanded data collection scope
Grok AI trained on public posts by default (opt-out buried in settings)

Past Security Incidents

2022 breach exposed email addresses of over 200 million users via API vulnerability
2023 disclosure revealed 5.4 million accounts had phone/email data exposed via the same API bug (from 2021)
2020 high-profile account hijacking (Obama, Musk, Gates) via internal admin tool social engineering attack
Post-acquisition: 80% of trust and safety staff laid off, increasing platform risk

How to Stay Safe Using Twitter/X

Enable two-factor authentication via authenticator app (not SMS)
Don't share sensitive information in DMs
Opt out of Grok AI training in privacy settings
Reduce ad personalization in settings
Review connected third-party apps
Consider whether public posting aligns with your risk tolerance

Safer Alternatives

Bluesky (decentralized Twitter alternative)
Mastodon (federated, open-source)
Threads (Meta-owned alternative)

Last updated: February 10, 2026