A guide to getting your data from the Twitter App
Your Twitter app stores a lot of information about you in the cloud. Here we show you how to gain access to it.
Your Twitter app stores a lot of information about you in the cloud. Here we show you how to gain access to it.
It’s important to understand how much of your data is stored in the cloud. Why? Because our research exposes that law enforcement can use cloud extraction techniques to obtain vast quantities of your data. These techniques means law enforcement can circumvent asking companies like Twitter for your data and avoid getting a warrant. So the use of this technology means there is no limit on what they can obtain, no transparency and no clear, accessible or effective legal safeguards to protect your data from risk of abuse and misuse.
Tools such as the Oxygen Forensic Cloud Extractor can be used to acquire “data from the most popular cloud services” including WhatsApp, iCloud, Google, Microsoft, Mi Cloud, Huawei, Samsung, E-Mail (IMAP) Servers and more - “also various social media services are supported to include but not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many more.”
The information you share on Twitter can be very revealing. It can also be misinterpreted by law enforcement agencies and used to profile individuals. Once installed on a device, depending on your settings, the Twitter app has access to information such as your location, contact information and media stored on the same device. All of this data can be accessed remotely using cloud extraction technology.
This cloud guide enables you to obtain the data stored about you and to limit the amount of data being collected.
How to find out what data Twitter stores about you
a) Open your Twitter App and ensure you are signed into your Twitter account.
b) On the app's homescreen, click on your profile picture to open app menu. Once menu pops up, select "Settings and Privacy"
c) On the screen that shows the Settings and Privacy options, select "Account." This will take you to a new screen.
d) On the Account page, select the "Your Twitter Data" or "Download an archive of your Data" option.
e) You will access a new page and you may need to re-log in to the Twitter and enter your Twitter account password. Once you have done so, you will see "Download your Twitter data" is listed at the bottom of the page. You will then be able to click on the "Confirm" or "Request archive" button.
f) You will be taken to a second login page to confirm your Twitter account password.
g) Access to your full Twitter data is not instant and Twitter will email confirmation that your Twitter data is ready for download. The email is sent to the account linked to your Twitter account. You will be given a time frame within which you will have to download your Twitter data.
**How to limit the data stored in the cloud by Twitter**
a) Return to the "Settings and Privacy menu" and select the "Privacy and Safety" option
b) Scroll to the bottom of the menu page that appears, and select the "Location" option. Click on "Precise Location". Make sure that the box is unchecked.
c) Once you have unchecked the Precise Location box return to the previous screen. Then click on "Personalization and data". On the Personalization and data page, make sure that all five boxes/ options are unchecked. Remember to also uncheck the option to personalise ads that is on the top right corner of the screen.
d) If you want to find out more about other ways that you can keep your information safe on Twitter you can read our Twitter Good Practices Guides.
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