Twitter is further clarifying what third-party apps can do on users’ behalf after they’ve authorised them on their accounts.
If you’re an experienced Twitter user, you will know that authorising an app permits it to take specific actions on Twitter on your behalf. For example, an authorised app can receive information from and use your account in various ways like reading your Tweets, seeing who you follow, updating your profile, posting Tweets on your behalf, accessing your Direct Messages, or viewing your email address.
While you can find out more about specific access that any authorised app has – in your account’s “App permissions” section – some authorisation permissions and explanations of what an app can or can’t do, aren’t always so intuitive. For example, up until now, apps with “read/write” permissions could send DMs – but not read or receive DMs. You may have not even known this.
Now, in its effort to help users make “more informed choices,” Twitter is changing app permissions and simplifying the language it uses in authorisations to be clearer. So, in relation to the example above, following the change, only apps that are authorised with “read/write and DM permissions can send DMs on your behalf.
Authorizing an app can give it permission to take actions on Twitter on your behalf, like posting Tweets or sending DMs. Until today, apps with "read/write" permissions could send DMs for you (but not read or receive DMs).
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) August 16, 2019
If you’re worried that you’ve authorised a bad app, or fear that one is still connected to your account, you should revoke access and change your Twitter password. You can find out more about what to do if you’ve authorised a compromised app, here.
We’ve also updated our Help Center article on third-party apps and permissioning with more details.https://t.co/EL69ZmSnMd
— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) August 16, 2019
Furthermore, you can find all updated information about third-party apps and authorisation permissions in this Twitter Help article.
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