Friend.tech Refutes Data Leak Claims, Highlights Public API Scrapping
Summary:
Friend.tech refutes claims of user data leak, stating that the information was obtained through scraping its public API. The report had suggested that data posted by a developer for Yearn Finance was leaked. Community members highlighted that the underlying data was public and could be accessed by anyone. Wallet addresses and Twitter usernames of over 101,000 users were shared. However, Friend.tech clarifies that users willingly gave access to post on their behalf. Spot On Chain also revealed that Friend.tech's API exposed certain information, which could be exploited by bots. Since its beta launch, Friend.tech has seen significant user engagement and trading volume.
The team behind the popular decentralized social media platform Friend.tech has denied the claims made in a report stating that the personal information of over 100,000 users had been leaked. The report, initially published by The Block, suggested that the leaked data came from Banteg, a developer associated with Yearn Finance. However, Friend.tech clarified that the information had been obtained by scraping their public API, likening it to someone reviewing public Twitter feeds. The team called the reporting from The Block and Vishal Shah irresponsible. The post also received contributions from X's Community Notes contributors, stating that the underlying data was public and could be accessed by anyone via a block explorer. Banteg had originally shared a repository on GitHub containing details of users on the Friend.tech platform, including wallet addresses and corresponding Twitter usernames for more than 101,000 users. Banteg highlighted that over 101,000 people had given Friend.tech access to post on their behalf. The inaccurate interpretation of the initial post was also criticized. Meanwhile, X users joined in on the fun, with one user humorously linking to an Ethereum block explorer, claiming to have found a leaked database of all Ethereum transactions. Banteg's release of the data followed a post from Spot On Chain, a blockchain analytics service, which revealed that Friend.tech's API exposed specific sets of information that were not immediately accessible to everyday users of the app. Spot On Chain pointed out that these exposed wallets could be used to manipulate the system, allowing bots to purchase shares from prominent accounts as soon as they signed up for Friend.tech. Since its beta launch on August 11, Friend.tech has witnessed over 934,000 unique transactions and a significant trading volume of 34,320 Ether, equivalent to $57,101,116 at current prices.
Published At
8/22/2023 1:48:16 AM
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