Clawing back your data on X

It’s the Digital Security Training team at Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), with security news that keeps you, your sources, and your devices safe. Did a friend share with you this newsletter? You can subscribe on LinkedIn here or through our website here.

First, it’s that time of the year again. Amid elevated threats to press freedom, while Congress also moves to potentially strip away the tax-exempt status of targeted nonprofits, we appreciate your help in rising to the challenge. If you can support us, every bit helps: https://freedom.press/donate/

Purging made simple

Just as journalists are making the jump to Bluesky, it’s become easier than ever to remove old posts on X. Our former board member Micah Lee created a new piece of software called Cyd, which helps you remove your data from X, with plans to extend this functionality to other social media sites like Facebook and Reddit. Instead of using the old developer tools, which have become prohibitively expensive in recent years, Cyd bypasses these limitations by essentially doing what any user would have to do manually in their browser: The software scrolls through the website and clicks the “delete” button, over and over again. The paid version comes with more options for controlling your data (e.g., preserving posts selectively, deleting all DMs), whereas the free version allows you to remove all posts from your X account.

What you can do

• Get started: Whether or not to delete social media posts can be a real matter of debate for journalists. That's especially true for posts with journalistic value. But if you are looking to either remove some or all of your posts on X and don’t want to do so by hand, Cyd is your friend. Check it out here.
• If you’re feeling nostalgic for simpler times, you can always download an archive of your posts from your settings before you begin the purge.
• If you are thinking about leaving X, deactivating your account allows someone else to claim your handle after 30 days. To avoid allowing someone else to take your handle — and perhaps impersonate you — keeping the account activated will prevent this risk.

Updates from our team

• Our team put together a checklist of things journalists can do to radically improve digital security now and into 2025. Some are easy, low-hanging fruit, and some are more involved. To help you out, we broke out the checklist into simpler and more involved sections. Check it out.
• Reminder: If you’re a U.S.-based journalist or news outlet covering the U.S. election and need safety support, the team at Election Urgent Care is here to help. FPF has joined forces with the Knight Election Hub and an all-star team of safety and legal experts from the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Women's Media Foundation, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, PEN America, and Aegis Safety Alliance. We’ll provide support for digital, physical, psychological, and legal concerns, from dealing with doxing, threats, and arrests to preparing for risky assignments. To learn more, or to apply from an eligible newsroom for support, check out Knight Election Hub’s Urgent Care. 

Our team is always ready to assist journalists with digital security concerns. Reach out here, and stay safe and secure out there.

Best, Martin

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Martin Shelton Deputy Director of Digital Security Freedom of the Press Foundation