Using PayPal for Twitter's Tip Jar could reveal tipper's address to the recipient and possibly recipient's email to the tipper; Twitter says it will add a label

Sending its users to PayPal has created all sorts of problems that Twitter should have caught ahead of time.

Wired 2021-05-08 Brian Barrett

Context & Ripple Effects

Twitter had just launched Tip Jar to English-language users, with only a limited group able to receive payments. The PayPal issue exposes a mismatch between that initial creator-tipping rollout and the identity information carried by an external payment flow.

The concern matters because Twitter later broadened Tips beyond the initial launch, including global iOS availability and Strike integration and further payment options. A label addresses awareness at the handoff, not the underlying data exchange described here.

First-order effects

People using PayPal through Tip Jar must weigh a potential disclosure of their address to a recipient, while recipients may expose an email address to tippers.
Twitter will add a label to the PayPal flow, making the disclosure risk more visible at the point users choose that option.

Second-order effects

Creators and tippers seeking more privacy have a clearer reason to choose other payment methods as Twitter expands the available tipping rails.
Twitter's later addition of ethereum addresses, bitcoin addresses, Paytm, and other services makes payment-method choice part of the product's privacy trade-off rather than a behind-the-scenes implementation detail.

Third-order effects

As social platforms layer payments onto public identities, privacy controls at the payment-provider handoff become a core product-design requirement, not merely a disclosure concern.
A multi-provider tipping model can shift user trust toward services that make identity and contact-data exposure explicit before money is sent.

The trend: Creator tipping is evolving into a multi-rail payments feature in which the privacy terms of each provider materially shape adoption.

Discussion

@racheltobac Rachel Tobac on x
Huge heads up on PayPal Twitter Tip Jar. If you send a person a tip using PayPal, when the receiver opens up the receipt from the tip you sent, they get your *address*. Just tested to confirm by tipping @yashar on Twitter w/ PayPal and he did in fact get my address I tipped him. …
@kayvz Kayvon Beykpour on x
@RachelTobac @yashar this is a good catch, thank you. we can't control the revealing of the address on Paypal's side but we will add a warning for people giving tips via Paypal so that they are aware of this.
@ashk4n Ashkan Soltani on x
Warning all: @Twitter's new “Tip Jar” feature reveals the recipient's email address that's linked to their account, even when you don't send them any actual money (I got permission from @jason_kint to show his email in this video) Thread here: https://twitter.com/... https://twit…
@wired @wired on x
Twitter's Tip Jar allowed users to express their gratitude; however, there was one unfortunate wrinkle: Sending someone money via PayPal could reveal your home address. https://www.wired.com/...
@wiredscience @wiredscience on x
Sending its users to PayPal has created all sorts of problems that Twitter should have caught ahead of time. https://www.wired.com/...
@ashk4n Ashkan Soltani on x
NOTE: the #privacy issue I flag below is *different* from the one @RachelTobac discovered whereby #tipjar reveals the sender's physical address https://twitter.com/... Both are problematic as they're not adequately disclosed and create digital + physical risks for @Twitter users …
@racheltobac Rachel Tobac on x
Good find @ashk4n — he found that he could see some (but not all) PayPal Twitter Tip Jar recipient's email addresses without even sending them money. His best guess is that some PayPal users haven't setup a ‘nickname’, which then reveals their email address quickly in the flow. h…
@ashk4n Ashkan Soltani on x
This whole trend of tech companies like @Twitter outsourcing their “QA” to outside researchers and regulators is *really* starting to get old. @RachelTobac @brbarrett (also see: @onepeloton @facebook or whatever other terrible news story this week) https://twitter.com/... https:/…
@wilgafney Highbrow Theological Shade on x
Yep. I received money that came with the full addresses of the sender. https://twitter.com/...
@brendaneich @brendaneich on x
We had Twitter tipping supported in ⁦@brave⁩ since way back in August 2019 (and no email address breach). Anonymous by default, up to you to tweet or dm about it. https://twitter.com/... https://brave.com/tips/
@twitter @twitter on x
show your love, leave a tip now testing Tip Jar, a new way to give and receive money on Twitter 💸 more coming soon... https://twitter.com/...
@twittersupport @twittersupport on x
Now you can do more to support the many amazing voices who add to the conversation on Twitter — send them tips. You can send someone a tip through several payment services by tapping the new Tip Jar icon on their profile, testing on Android and iOS. https://twitter.com/...
@bigblackjacobin Edward Ongweso Jr on x
Twitter tip jar is a great chance to up your block game then demand reply guys tip you an unblock fee I'm just saying
@juiceboxca Jack Appleby on x
It's worth remembering that @Twitter's the only major social network that allows full nudity... and Twitter takes $0 of Tip Jar... and OnlyFans takes 20%...
@broderick Ryan Broderick on x
Tipping? What happened to stealing a photo from Instagram, creating a fake account, using that to tweet something like “Grinding for the summer 💪🏻,” using thousands of bots and other sock puppet accounts to retweet it, and then advertising dildos and projectors in the replies?
@its_willyu @its_willyu on x
For those that want to use the Twitter Tip Jar, be careful what service you sign up with! It seems like Venmo (which PayPal owns) doesn't share this info in a transaction, but if there are any issues like this for it, please call it out and I will RT ASAP. https://twitter.com/...
@histoftech Mar Hicks on x
Wow, read the comments on the linked thread. Already random commenters are finding multiple serious problems with this new beta feature and showing more thought and effort QAing it than the company that produced it🥶 https://twitter.com/...
@ashk4n Ashkan Soltani on x
Buried in @Twitter's “Tip Jar FAQ”: “Info about you, incl your full name or addr and your tip may be shared with the recipient or others” It *doesn't* say the your email addr will be shared with the sender, even when they don't send a payment/tip... https://help.twitter.com/... h…
@taylorlorenz Taylor Lorenz on x
Twitter introduces a “tip jar” on user profiles which allows the following services" Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal, Venmo. Twitter takes no cut. On Android, tips can also be sent within Spaces. https://t.co/1N2gCx0YjK
@twitterspaces Spaces on x
love what you're hearing in a Space? starting today, Tip Jar is being tested with a small group, including Spaces hosts! https://twitter.com/...
@wongmjane Jane Manchun Wong on x
There are people who find people's Tip Jars just to send them requests for payment So I turned off my PayPal's Payment Request notifications and set up rules sending the emails straight to spam https://twitter.com/...
@ebthen @ebthen on x
It seems like people don't necessarily get how Tip Jar works. You're not forced to participate. If you don't want to turn it on, you don't have to. It's super practical though for those of us who, for example, do most of our work ON Twitter. https://blog.twitter.com/...
@lollardfish David M. Perry on x
I see a lot of skepticism, but as a freelancer putting together an income through a lot of small revenue streams, I am wildly in favor of this and want to be added to the program ASAP. https://twitter.com/...
@keithkurson Keith Kurson on x
just a reminder that paypal will close your account if they find out you're doing “illegal activity” https://twitter.com/...
@caseyjohnston Casey Johnston on x
i take my lack of tip jar to mean i'm not adding to the conversation https://twitter.com/...
@stuckey2 Stuckey on x
10M in tips and I won't ever put an Akron football bet in the app ever again https://twitter.com/...
@jaylabrenae Mama Jay on x
I love this because when I donate to GoFundMes I always add extra cash since I know they take a percentage! https://twitter.com/...
@nonlinearnotes Jason on x
twitter is gonna look a lot more like onlyfans very soon https://twitter.com/...
@djfolk DJ Folk on x
yeah twitter coming for OF LOL https://twitter.com/...
@anildash @anildash on x
This is what it looked like when we added a Tip Jar feature on a blogging platform 16 years ago. https://web.archive.org/... We've come a long way! https://twitter.com/...
@morningmoneyben Ben White on x
You can try to tip me to stop tweeting about the #Yankees but I regret to inform you it will not work. https://twitter.com/...
@t0nit0ne Toni Tone on x
Oh snap! If you have ever asked me when I will marry, please send some money for a wedding. If you have ever asked me when I'll have kids, please send some money for the baby prep. If you have ever asked me why I'm on Twitter so much, please send some money for a hobby. Thanks 😄 …
@susanlitv Susan Li on x
I take #cryptocurrencies 🤓 #Twitter #Tips https://twitter.com/...
@udiwertheimer Udi Wertheimer on x
pretty serious data privacy issue it's almost as bad as using ethereum https://twitter.com/...
@gregpak Greg Pak on x
This is a horrifying security/privacy flaw. Don't use the Twitter Tip Jar until this gets figured out, folks. https://twitter.com/...
@michellehux Lauren Chanel on x
tip jar through paypal takes 33%? and... gives your home address to the person you tip? https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@jsrailton John Scott-Railton on x
WOAH, new Twitter #tipjar feature shows your physical address to the recipient. What could possibly go wrong? https://twitter.com/...
@kurtisconner Kurtis Conner on x
gonna end every tweet of mine with “will delete for $100” 🤑 https://twitter.com/...
@maxwinebach Max Weinbach on x
Now I don't need to sell my pics on OnlyFans! Thanks, Twitter. https://twitter.com/...
@luulubuu @luulubuu on x
https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@hushes Cheryl Black on x
Journalists and experts? I think I see the flaw in the rollout. https://twitter.com/...
@spencerdailey Spencer Dailey on x
@Techmeme @esthercrawford so, as someone who is unverified, writes, and is considering writing more, can I - for the umpteenth time - complain that Twitter is taking forever to relaunch verifications. Apparently it's around the corner... ok, but the oppo costs of not now are real…
@shura @shura on x
i know you got my tweets for free for the last 10 years but now you can tip me for them. don't all rush at once (please do) 🤣 https://twitter.com/...
@epicfunnyname Lupin on x
now i can get paid to tweet stupid shit! https://twitter.com/...
@mekkadonmusic Mekka Don on x
How about...YOU just pay us @Twitter ? 🤔 https://twitter.com/...
@jayjurden May Murden on x
People are about to get even more insufferable on here https://blog.twitter.com/...
@thbenkoe @thbenkoe on x
@Techmeme @esthercrawford I'm using Twitter in German and it works as well.
@ow @ow on x
omg gonna make bank tweeting now!! (it's very weird it doesn't tell you the twitter handle...) https://twitter.com/...
@kozza @kozza on x
Jack, Imma send you a dollar. After you get it, go on and hit me back with something. Then I do the same. Tip Jar Tennis https://twitter.com/...
@astrogriz @astrogriz on x
This is rlly great for content creators wow https://twitter.com/...
@chuckwendig Chuck Wendig on x
call me when there's a BUY MY BOOK feature https://twitter.com/...
@philabouzeid D Phil on x
Spread love and dollars on #Twitter https://twitter.com/...
@kerrymflynn @kerrymflynn on x
Ooo Twitter Tip Jar just popped up on my mobile app 👀👀👀 https://twitter.com/...
@stevekovach Steve Kovach on x
Please tip me in $DOGE https://twitter.com/...
@carnage4life Dare Obasanjo on x
Twitter adds a tip jar on user profiles which allows the following services; Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal & Venmo. Twitter takes no cut. This is more polished than what Clubhouse did and is way overdue given how people use the service. https://t.co/lZ9Wd1FKoP
@kerrymflynn @kerrymflynn on x
Here's what it looks like when you turn on Twitter Tip Jar — I added Venmo but there's a bunch of other payment services Fun, smart product update by Twitter as it invests more in $$$$ supporting creators https://twitter.com/...
@ow @ow on x
lol that only one of these works properly in Canada, land of no Venmo/cash app https://twitter.com/...
@ow @ow on x
wow now twitter ‘tip jar’ lets u literally pay me if u like my twetes https://twitter.com/...

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