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Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did Twitter recently update its hacked materials policy?

By Esther Tsvayg
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YES

Following controversy over a New York Post story, Twitter updated policies relating to posting hacked materials. The company said it will now remove material shared directly by hackers or those “acting in concert with them." Tweets about hacked material shared by general users will be labeled to offer "context." Previously, any hacked material that included private information, including personal emails and phone numbers, was subject to removal. Executive Vijaya Gadde tweeted that the policy change would serve journalists, whistleblowers and the "public conversation."

The Oct. 20 Post story concerned accusations against presidential candidate Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, based on emails the Post said were discovered on a laptop hard drive left in a Delaware repair shop.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Twitter: Tweets updating hacked materials policy
Twitter: Previous hacked materials policy (March 2019)
TechCrunch: Twitter changes its hacked materials policy in wake of New York Post controversy
Twitter: Rationale for removing NY Post story
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Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.