Current:Home > NewsX's new privacy policy allows it to collect users' biometric data-InfoLens
X's new privacy policy allows it to collect users' biometric data
View Date:2024-12-23 16:57:12
Starting next month, X's updated privacy policy will entitle it to collect some users' biometric data and other personal information.
Under the revised policy, which takes effect September 29, X (formerly known as Twitter) "may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security and identification purposes" so long as the user provides consent.
The biometric data collection is for X Premium users only, the company told CBS MoneyWatch when reached for further information.
"X will give the option to provide their Government ID, combined with a selfie, to add a verification layer. Biometric data may be extracted from both the Gov ID and the selfie image for matching purposes," the company said. "This will additionally help us tie, for those that choose, an account to a real person by processing their Government issued ID. This is to also help X fight impersonation attempts and make the platform more secure."
The microblogging platform does not define "biometric" in its policy, but the term generally refers to automated technologies — including facial recognition software, fingerprint taking, and palm and iris scanning — used for authenticating and verifying unique human body characteristics.
"The announcement is at least an acknowledgement that X will be doing what other social networks have already been doing in a more covert fashion," said Stephen Wicker, a professor at Cornell University and expert on data privacy,
X's move to collect biometric data comes after the website earlier this year introduced a subscription verification model that requires users to submit their government-approved identification to receive a blue checkmark on their accounts. The move is meant to curb bots and other fake accounts on the website, according to X.
The company also plans to gather information on users' jobs and education histories, the updated policy shows.
"We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising," the policy states.
X did not say whether the policy would also eventually apply to nonpaying X users or include other forms of data beyond that which can be gathered from government IDs. Its privacy policy also does not specify which users can opt into, or out of, biometric data gathering.
Some users have previously challenged X's data collection methods. A lawsuit, filed in July alleges that X has not "adequately informed individuals who have interacted (knowingly or not) with [its platform], that it collects and/or stores their biometric identifiers in every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to [the website]."
In 2021, Facebook agreed to a $650 million settlement of a privacy lawsuit for allegedly using photo face-tagging and other biometric data without users' consent.
"X's announcement is an expansion of the ongoing farming of social network users for personal data that can be used for directed advertising," Wicker said, adding that such data collection "continues to be a problem for the individuals that provide the data, while a source of wealth for those that take it."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- In:
- Elon Musk
veryGood! (62)
Related
- Dave Coulier Says He's OK If This Is the End Amid Stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Battle
- Colorado funeral home operator known for green burials investigated after bodies found 'improperly stored'
- Woman charged in June shooting that killed 3 in an Indianapolis entertainment district
- Man encouraged by a chatbot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II sentenced to 9 years in prison
- Maryland man wanted after 'extensive collection' of 3D-printed ghost guns found at his home
- Troopers who fatally shot 'Cop City' protester near Atlanta won't face charges
- AP Week in Pictures: Latin America and Caribbean
- 'The Golden Bachelor' recap: Who remains after first-date drama and three eliminations?
- San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had mild stroke this month, team says
- Lebanese army rescues over 100 migrants whose boat ran into trouble in the Mediterranean
Ranking
- A list of mass killings in the United States this year
- Trump campaign says he raised $45.5 million in 3rd quarter, tripling DeSantis' fundraisng
- Heavy rains and floods kill 6 people in Sri Lanka and force schools to close
- Retired Australian top judge and lawyers rebut opponents of Indigenous Voice
- ‘Emilia Pérez’ wouldn’t work without Karla Sofía Gascón. Now, she could make trans history
- Not Girl Scout cookies! Inflation has come for one of America's favorite treats
- KFOR commander calls on Kosovo and Serbia to return to talks to prevent future violence
- Pakistan says its planned deportation of 1.7 million Afghan migrants will be ‘phased and orderly’
Recommendation
-
Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
-
Goshdarnit, 'The Golden Bachelor' is actually really good
-
The Best Holiday Beauty Gift Sets of 2023: Dyson, Rare Beauty, Olaplex & More
-
Trump moves to temporarily dismiss $500 million lawsuit against Michael Cohen
-
Jason Kelce Offers Up NSFW Explanation for Why Men Have Beards
-
Eligible electric and plug-in vehicle buyers will get US tax credits immediately in 2024
-
William Friedkin's stodgy 'Caine Mutiny' adaptation lacks the urgency of the original
-
Can a non-member of Congress be speaker of the House?