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Twitter (200M) data breach — are you affected?

In early 2023 a collection of over 200 million records appeared on a hacking forum. It had been assembled in 2021 by abusing an API that resolved email addresses to Twitter profiles, and pairs each email address with public profile information such as name, username and follower count. No passwords are involved, but the link between an email address and a social identity is valuable for phishing.

Key facts
Verified
Breach date
1 January 2021
Accounts affected
211,524,284
Added to catalogue
5 January 2023
Website
twitter.com

Data exposed

  • Email addresses, lower risk
  • Names, lower risk
  • Social media profiles, lower risk
  • Usernames, lower risk

Colour shows how damaging the data is if misused.Credentials, ID and bank dataContact and personal detailsOther profile data

What this means for you

Based on the types of data in this breach, in order of importance.

  • Expect more targeted phishing

    Your email address ties you to this service, which is enough for a believable message such as a fake account warning. Check the sender and the web address before you sign in, and go to the site directly instead of using links in email.

  • Limit what attackers can personalise

    Names, employers, job titles and social profiles make impersonation and spear-phishing easier. Check what your public profiles reveal, and be careful with unexpected requests that use your real name or workplace.

Check your own email address

Run a free self-assessment for an email address you own. VINDICIS checks it against infostealer logs and several public breach sources and shows a summary in seconds.

Built for your own addresses. It is not a tool to look up other people.

Run a free self-assessmentCheck a password

Related breaches

Breaches that exposed similar kinds of data.

Frequently asked questions

Was my data in the Twitter (200M) breach?

Only a check of your own address can tell. If you had an account with Twitter (200M) around 2021, assume it might be. Run the free self-assessment with an email address you own: VINDICIS checks it against several public breach sources and shows a summary in seconds. It is built for your own addresses, not for looking up other people.

What information was exposed in the Twitter (200M) breach?

According to the Have I Been Pwned catalogue, the Twitter (200M) breach affected 211,524,284 accounts and exposed: Email addresses, Names, Social media profiles, Usernames. The incident dates from 1 January 2021.

What should I do if I had a Twitter (200M) account?

Review the security settings of your Twitter (200M) account and treat unexpected emails, texts or letters that mention Twitter (200M) with suspicion. Delete the account if you no longer use it.

Is it safe to check my email address on VINDICIS?

Yes. The free scan is not stored or logged, results stay in memory for four hours at most, and your browser only talks to this site. The password checker hashes locally and sends only five characters of the hash, so the password never leaves your device.