200 million records containing X user data are publicly available. The data is allegedly from two separate leaks.
Researchers from SafetyDetectives discovered a database containing millions of X user records. The data was compiled by someone who claims to have knowledge of a major data leak in January of this year. Reportedly, 400 GB of data from 2.8 billion accounts was released. There aren’t that many X users, so it’s likely that a significant portion consists of bots or test accounts.
The poster in question has therefore correlated the dataset with a known leak from October 2022, when X was still Twitter. They compared the data from January 2025 with that from October 2022, and compiled a database with the 2022 information, supplemented with data from 2025. An analysis of part of the data shows that it is accurate.
The data in question is not overly sensitive, but it is sufficient for criminals to set up targeted phishing attacks. This includes data such as names, email addresses, account creation dates, followers, and friends.
No Response
X has not yet responded to the existence of the database. Details about the alleged leak from 2025 are also scarce. The person who made the data public claims to have tried to contact X about the incident earlier this year, through various means. X has not responded to these contact attempts.
When Elon Musk took over Twitter and later renamed it X, he laid off about eighty percent of the workforce. It therefore sounds realistic that there are no or insufficient people available to follow up on the reporting of potential leaks.
Taken Over Again
Meanwhile, Musk continues to play with the social network. Yesterday it became known that he has taken over X once again, this time through his own AI startup xAI. X and xAI will be merged, which would offer unprecedented (and unspecified) possibilities.
X is now a shadow of what Twitter once was. Official entities including Belgian public transport have left the platform, and the lack of moderation has made the discourse on it more extreme. Musk’s persona is also controversial, given his role in mass layoffs within the American civil service and the recent Nazi salute incident.
With these considerations in mind, we are gauging our readers’ strategies regarding social media.
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