Twitter’s rapid X rebrand triggered security warnings in Microsoft Edge

Over the last week, Elon Musk rapidly rebranded Twitter to X. The process has been haphazard at best and has come with some hilarious unintended consequences, such as triggering security warnings about a potential scam.

On top of potentially wiping out billions in brand value, the Twitter-to-X rebrand triggered security warnings from Microsoft’s Chromium-based Edge web browser. As detailed by Bleeping Computer, the sudden change from the iconic blue bird logo to the mediocre ‘X’ caused Edge to warn some users that Twitter X was trying to trick them into thinking it was a different app.

“If this web app is trying to trick you into thinking it’s a different app, uninstall it,” read a pop-up warning in the Edge browser.

Bleeping Computer explained that the pop-up was triggered by a safety feature built into Microsoft Edge and other Chromium-based browsers that warns users when Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) change icons or names. The safety feature has been in place since 2021.

HELP !!! pic.twitter.com/LmRS9sZrej

— Florian (@flobo09) July 28, 2023

PWAs are effectively websites that can be installed on your computer or smartphone and act like any other app. They can be a handy way to have quick access to a website you use frequently or a great alternative to installing native apps, which often take up more space.

Because PWAs look and act like native apps, there’s a possibility for fraudsters to trick users by making a PWA look like another app. Hence the warning system, which is intended to help protect users from PWAs attempting to mimic other apps to trick users.

X isn’t a scam (though I’d argue paying for Blue is), so you probably don’t need to worry if you see one of these pop-ups. Still, it’s always good to be vigilant for scams and potential fraud — never hand out valuable information like banking or financial details unless you’re dealing with a trusted entity.

Header image credit: Shutterstock

Source: Bleeping Computer