Twitter has recently released its “tip jar” feature that allows users to send money to others using the social media site on May 8. Twitter said it is an “easy way to support the incredible voices that make up the conversation.” Currently, only a select group of people such as content creators, journalists, experts, and non-profits can receive tips using this feature. A small icon appears on the user’s profile with a drop-down list of various payment providers popular in the U.S. namely PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo. This feature is only available on mobile devices at the moment. However, privacy concerns arose when recipients experienced having seen the postal addresses of the sender when tipping via PayPal. On the other hand, the receivers’ email addresses are shown whether money was sent or not.

Security expert Rachel Tobac pointed out this issue, and Twitter product lead Kayvon Beykpour clarified that the company cannot control how PayPal handles personal information. PayPal elaborated that the Twitter tip jar feature uses its “good and services” option that shares the shipping details of the sender and the receiver. The company suggests toggling to the “friends and family” option to conceal personal information. More people will have this feature on their profiles soon, but users are still concerned about its functionality. Journalists, for instance, are banned from receiving tips, so it is unclear how news organizations will treat this feature.