Mashable: Multiple Twitter users have reported seeing Circle tweets from individuals they do not follow since last Friday.

Last year, Twitter introduced the new Circle feature, which functions similarly to Instagram's Close Friends, allowing you to post content that only certain users can view.

However, it appears that Twitter Circle messages are no longer private, as they are now visible to random social network users.

A bug has been discovered that exposes at least some private Circle posts to the public. They frequently appear in the For You recommendations of subscribers, but some claim the content reaches complete strangers. Obviously, this could be problematic if you are discussing a sensitive subject or attempting to minimize the possibility of harassment.

Confirmed someone I'm not even following was able to see a private Twitter Circle tweet (thank you @TheSahilDev)

This hurts trust in the platform a lot. Should be top priority @TwitterEng pic.twitter.com/BCYPkikJ2p

— Theo - t3.gg (@t3dotgg) April 8, 2023
There have been issues with Circles for months, but there is no evidence that tweets were disseminated outside of Circles. They have occasionally neglected to include the notation indicating their Circle-only status, even when it was obvious they could not be shared with others. This is significantly worse; you can no longer trust that a private post will remain private.

Multiple Twitter users have reported seeing Circle tweets from individuals they do not follow since last Friday. Specifically, these tweets have been appearing in the For You tab, which displays content suggestions based on an algorithm. The issue is that tweets posted to a Circle should not be visible to anyone who is not a member of that Circle.

This disables the retweet icon for the affected content. If you click the tweet, it merely vanishes, as if it were deleted. However, it remains accessible in the For You tab. Both 9to5Mac and TechCrunch noticed the bug, and TechCrunch verified with an anonymous user that an affected tweet had been posted to a Circle.

This makes people wonder if they can trust Twitter, and it could even put them in danger if someone shares sensitive information with their circle and the tweet gets out to other people on the social network.