Sites could face legal action over Twitter leak

Publishing stolen documents could land web in trouble

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15 July 2009 20:28 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Twitter has moved to quell reports that its micro-blogging service was hacked again, issuing a statement about a hacker offering internal documents to various industry publications.

"It's important to note that the stolen documents which where downloaded and offered to various blogs and publications are not Twitter user accounts nor were any user accounts compromised. This was not a hack on the Twitter service, it was a personal attack followed by the theft of private company documents", said co-founder Biz Stone on the company's blog.

The secrets, which broke on Wednesday highlight how big the company has got and the pressure it faces in the media spotlight.

However the publications, which chose to run the story, could face legal proceedings.

"We are in touch with our legal counsel about what this theft means for Twitter, the hacker, and anyone who accepts and subsequently shares or publishes these stolen documents", confirmed Stone.

Clearly upset by the incident, Stone concedes they could "jeopardize relationships with Twitter's ongoing and potential partners".

The story broke on Wednesday morning with an industry website opting to announce that it would publish the stories in an attempt to gain publicity. The move, strongly condemned by the industry, could land the site in serious trouble if Twitter proceeds with court action.

Is a website justified in publishing stolen documents? Let us know what you think in the comments section.