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The source code of Elon Musk’s social media platform, Twitter, was recently leaked online, according to a statement from Twitter. The code was posted on GitHub, a popular service for sharing code among software developers, and was removed after Twitter requested its removal.
The account that leaked the code was named FreeSpeechEnthusiast, and Twitter has called on GitHub to provide information on who was behind the account.
The leak presents a new challenge for Mr. Musk, who has already slashed Twitter’s workforce by over a third and faced an exodus of advertisers since buying the platform in October of last year.
DMCA protects Twitter’s copyrighted material
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was signed into law in 1998 to protect copyrighted material on the internet. In the takedown request, Twitter called on GitHub to provide information on the account that leaked the code.
The DMCA has become increasingly relevant with the rise of the internet and the digital age, as it provides a framework for how to handle copyright issues in the online world.
Twitter’s worth is less than half of what Musk paid for it
According to reports, Musk has signaled to Twitter workers that the company is worth less than half of the $44bn (£36bn) he paid for it last year. The estimate of the company’s value was based on Musk’s offer of stock grants to staff, according to technology news websites Platformer and the Information, which first reported the story.
Musk reportedly also told staff that he sees a clear but difficult path to a >$250B valuation, which suggests a more than tenfold increase in Twitter’s valuation. The leaked code will undoubtedly make that path more challenging.
Twitter responds with a poo emoji
In response to a request for comment from the BBC, Twitter’s press office email account automatically responded with a poo emoji, an approach that Musk announced in a tweet earlier this month.
While the response is not entirely professional, it does reflect Musk’s unique approach to managing his various ventures. It remains to be seen how Twitter will address the leak of its source code and how this will impact the platform’s value and future prospects.
