Is Twitter/X Safe? Security Review
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)
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Last updated: February 10, 2026