Following a viral video that revealed Twitter employees routinely scan private messages, the company has released a statement denying this breach of privacy.
In the clip, Clay Haynes, the security engineer for Twitter, admits that he has seen "more dick pics than I've ever wanted to see in my life." Haynes explains that rather than employing robots to scan the site for illicit and inappropriate content, the company allows staffers to do the work instead. Haynes further notes how there is "at least, three or four hundred people" assigned to oversee the content posted in their domain, regardless of whether it is public or private.
Pranay Singh, a DM engineer, also reveals how "all your sex messages and your, like, d–k pics are on my server right now. All your legitimate wives and, like, all the girls you’ve been f—ing around with, they’re on my server now."
In a statement released to The Sun, a Twitter representative shoots down these assertions, claiming that the conversations and information included in the video are misleading. The spokesperson notes how "we deplore the deceptive and underhanded tactics by which this footage was obtained and selectively edited to fit a pre-determined narrative."
The representative also adds that "Twitter is committed to enforcing our rules without bias and empowering every voice on our platform, in accordance with the Twitter Rules." While there are a limited amount of staff who have access to messages sent through their direct message feature, it is strictly for work purposes.