Elon Musk’s Twitter, now rebranded as X, may collect users’ biometric data along with personal employment and education histories, according to its latest privacy policy update. The update not only raises some data concerns but also reflects Musk’s intention to make X the “everything app“.
What Happened: X’s latest privacy policy update revealed the platform’s plans to gather user biometric data. “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the company said.
The update was first reported by Bloomberg, noting that while the term “biometric” hasn’t been explicitly defined in the policy, it is often associated with information derived from characteristics like facial features, fingerprints, and eye scans.
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Apart from biometric data, X also plans to delve into users’ educational and employment histories.
The company stated that this information could be used to recommend potential job opportunities, share profiles with prospective employers, facilitate employer-candidate connections, and effectively tailor advertising.
This policy update marks a notable departure from the previous one, which did not encompass biometric data or employment and education history.
It also indicates Musk’s plans to make X an everything app, which includes the platform having Microsoft Corporation’s MSFT LinkedIn-like capabilities. Notably, the tech billionaire has previously called LinkedIn links “cringe” saying he simply asks people to email their bio or resume to him directly.
In July, Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, described Musk’s vision for the “everything app,” saying that it is the future of “unlimited interactivity” in audio, video, messaging, payments, banking, and a global marketplace for ideas, products, services, and opportunities.
Why It’s Important: Earlier this year, Musk’s X faced accusations of unlawfully acquiring, retaining, and employing biometric data from residents of Illinois without their consent, the report noted.
The proposed class-action lawsuit contended that X failed to sufficiently notify individuals, whether knowingly or unknowingly interacting with Twitter, about its practice of gathering and preserving their biometric markers present in every photograph containing a recognizable face uploaded to the platform,
In 2021, Twitter’s rival social media platform, Meta Platforms Inc.’s META Facebook also came under scrutiny for allegedly prioritizing its financial interests over the safety of its users. At the time, speculation emerged regarding the outage’s cause, suggesting that hackers had placed the personal data of more than 1.5 billion Facebook users up for sale online.
Although no compelling evidence was found to substantiate the claims.
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