Friend.tech denies data breach with API clarification

Friend.tech counters claims of a 100k user data breach, emphasizing data was accessed from their public API, not a security lapse.

In a statement on X, Friend.tech clarified that the data was accessed through scraping their public API, not a security breach.

The company likened the situation to someone claiming a hack after viewing a public Twitter feed. They emphasized that the accessed data was always publicly available via their API.

This is just someone scraping our public API that shows the association between public wallet addresses and public Twitter usernames.

It’s like saying someone hacked you by looking at your public Twitter feed.

Irresponsible reporting from @TheBlock_ and @vishal4c https://t.co/GIXOWazqBk

— friend.tech (@friendtech) August 21, 2023

The crux of the controversy revolves around the connection between public wallet addresses and Twitter usernames, facilitated by Friend.tech’s API. This feature assists users in linking Twitter accounts with wallet addresses. The scraped data, according to Friend.tech, only contains this public info.

In the crypto community’s response, Banteg, a developer associated with Yearn Finance, who made the dataset public, stated, “101,183 people have given friend.tech access to post as them.” Banteg later clarified that their message was misinterpreted.

pro tip: if you emulate a journo headline for the lolz or for a rhetorical reason, a journo brain is wired to recognize game and skip any and all fact checking. https://t.co/obPFJ4XVlF

— banteg (@bantg) August 21, 2023

Spot On Chain, a blockchain analytics startup, pointed out that the Friend.tech API does provide access to some data that isn’t typically visible. The potential to inspect wallets created by individuals was highlighted as a potential risk.

2. The API of @friendtech also leaks the information

You can check the wallet generated by FriendTech by this API:https://t.co/uqb7V0FxLi

Just replace "0x317931c6b64f6058f688c7d62e84e1491a319dff" with the address you see on the contract. pic.twitter.com/mGrRax4Jd6

— Spot On Chain (@spotonchain) August 21, 2023

What is Friend.tech

Friend.tech, a decentralized social platform, gained significant traction in the crypto world shortly after its beta launch. It provides a space where users can tokenize their social connections, giving privileges like private messaging and interaction rights.

The platform operates on Coinbase’s new layer-2 network, Base. By transforming social relationships into tradable commodities, users can sell “shares” of themselves, adding a new dimension to blockchain-based social interaction. This innovation has been attributed to Pseudonymous developer Racer, who previously delved into decentralized social media with TweetDAO and Stealcam, which later transformed into Friend.tech.

Since its launch, the platform has witnessed staggering statistics, with over $5.9 million earned in fees. Ot even doubled the volume of established NFT marketplaces like OpenSea on certain days.