Elon Musk's X Platform Collects Your Biometric Data
The latest announcement from X, formerly known as Twitter, raises legitimate concerns about privacy. A recent update to the platform's privacy policy indicates that Elon Musk intends to collect users' biometric and professional data. These new measures will go into effect on September 29, as reported by Insider.
The platform, formerly known as Twitter, stated, "With your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for security and identification purposes."
According to the new privacy policy, Elon Musk's X will start storing users' biometric data as well as their work and education history. The term "biometric data" encompasses a wide range of information related to physical or biological characteristics that can be used to identify an individual. In this case, the targeted data includes facial recognition and fingerprint information. Specifically, X may request users to provide a photograph of their face in addition to their personal information, such as a copy of their ID.
At present, this decision applies only to premium X users. No information has been reported regarding free users at this time.
According to X, the purpose of this new privacy policy is to enhance security and authentication. However, it raises legitimate concerns about user privacy and data security.
A representative from X told the BBC, "X will offer the option to provide a government-issued ID along with a selfie to add an extra level of verification. Biometric data can be obtained from both an official ID and a selfie image. This will also help us link, for those who wish, an account with a real person by processing their official ID. It will also assist X in combating fraudulent activities and making the platform more secure."
X also announced its intention to collect information about users' professional and educational history. This data will be used to recommend job vacancies and share them with potential employers. It appears evident that these new measures, along with the recent addition of audio and video calling features and payment services, aim to make X an all-in-one universal platform.