What Are Your Thoughts on the Twitter/TechCrunch Brouhaha?

Posted on July 16, 2009 by Bruce Keener

In case you have not heard, an email account containing considerable information confidential to Twitter was hacked and the material was sent to TechCrunch. Pertinent links from Twitter’s and TechCrunch’s blogs are provided in this article, which is a reminder on the need to use strong passwords.

Today TechCrunch posted a substantial amount of the sensitive material, although the article claims that the most sensitive parts have been redacted. It had been widely anticipated that TechCrunch would do this.

When I first saw TechCrunch’s article, my first reaction was to not read it. My thought on it was that Arrington was just screwing over Twitter, and personal friends, for the sake of the story. I felt it was wrong and wanted no part of it. I especially figured that I would never link to it, as that would give it more “legitimacy” than it deserved.

But, I am human, and many of us humans (most?) find it irresistible to read this kind of stuff. So, I read it. And, now, of all things, I am linking to it, with one of the reasons for this being the following Tweet from Twitter CEO Evan Williams:

Evan Williams Tweeting About TechCrunch Pub of Confidential Material

In this Tweet, Williams is referring to a comment Arrington made about being given permission to publish the information. Clearly, Williams and Arrington do not agree on the “permission” part. Update: Twitter has posted on its blog that it did not give permission for the publication of these documents. The post also notes that they are “pursuing a path to address the harm caused by these actions.” That does not come right and say that they are pursuing legal action, but it sure seems to be a possible interpretation of what they are saying.

Anyway, I am curious what you think about any and all aspects of this matter.

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  • http://ruudhein.com Ruud Hein

    I find the publication of these documents low, wrong. Like rubbernecking a car accident, I “had” to look at one — but I’m done. And for me, I’m done there, full stop.

    Whistleblowers have guts. And stand against something and for the good. They often stand to lose a lot.

    The hacker in question serves no purpose but to steal documents which inform us of … business. This hacker is no Mark Klein.

    I think one of Jesus’ everyday applicable lifehacks is; do to others what and how you would like they do to you.

    I wouldn’t like to see my private business documents stolen and published on the web.

  • pritchett4

    It seems to me that this is theft plain and simply. If someone would break into a your house and take your private information from a file drawer, the argument is not that you should have had a better security system. I don’t know the legalities of cyberspace, but whether or not it is legal, it is not moral or ethical. To me, it reveals that the character of the person who stole the the information and those who publish it is unethical. There was a point in time when people were taught that if it wasn’t yours, you didn’t take it, touch it, or pick it up and look through it. We have seen this lack of integrity all around us as those who have been trusted have violated that trust — politics, religion, finance, corporations, etc., and we have read about it in the papers. So rather than applaud this behavior, it ought to be shamed. The publishing of stolen, private information is immoral and unethical. This shows the immoral character of those who stole the information, and then those who published it. It is theft, plain and simple and also being an accessory to the crime. (And no, I haven looked at any of the information, and don’t intend to.) PS. Did I happen to mention that it is immoral, and unethical!

  • http://www.keenerliving.com/ Bruce Keener

    @Ruud and @pritchett4
    Well said points from both of you. I am done with it, too, and will read no more information from TC on the matter, or from anyone else who publishes any of the stolen documents. As a journalist of sorts myself (bloggers are a type of journalists), I felt some obligation to let you know of this … it is newsworthy. But aside from that, I have to agree that it was wrong, wrong, wrong to publish Twitter’s confidential information. I hope their efforts in “pursuing a path to address the harm” does succeed for them. Their negotiations with Microsoft and Google have been harmed immensely, and they should be made whole for that.