The social media platform formerly known as Twitter can now collect your biometric data and DNA.
A new update quietly added to the platform’s privacy policy says X now has permission to collect its users’ fingerprints, retinal scans, voice and facial recognition, and keystroke patterns.
The update would mean that anyone who uses fingerprint authentication to log into the app from their phone, post selfies or videos on the platform, or voice their opinion on X ‘spaces’ will be able to see their unique biometrics cataloged by the company.
The new policy, which describes its interest in user biometrics as “for safety, security, and identification purposes” also added the platform’s intent to collect data on users’ work history, education background, and “search activity.”
The move follows nearly a year of turmoil for the microblogging app, with Musk asking its users to pay subscription fees for premium services and verification: part of his larger plan to recover from declining ad revenue.
A new privacy policy update for Twitter (now ‘X’) says the platform has permission to collect its users’ ‘biometric’ data
A new update (left) to the privacy policy for Twitter (now “X”) says the platform has permission to collect “biometric” data from its users – a broad category that includes everything from fingerprints and retinal scans to voice recognition and keystroke patterns and even DNA. The previous policy is shown on the right
For more than a decade, Big Tech companies have sparked controversy and sparked privacy advocates with their continued interest in collecting their customers’ biometric data.
For example, the Chinese viral video sensation TikTok gave itself permission to collect “faceprints and voiceprints” from users with an update to the privacy policy in 2021.
And this summer, Facebook’s parent company launched Meta announced its intention to finally shut down its facial recognition systemthat has been automatically identifying users, as well as their friends and family, from photos for over a decade.
Meta’s vice president of AI research, Jerome Pesenti, said the move was in response to “many concerns about the place of facial recognition technology in society.”
While it remains unclear what Musk or X plans to do with users’ biometrics, Musk has expressed his desire to rid the site of inauthentic accounts and bots since buying the company last year.
In a move that could hint at Musk’s future plans to mine and capitalize on user biometrics, the billionaire announced via message to X that users will soon be able to make video and audio calls through X itself.
Following the privacy policy update, Musk announced that X users will be able to make video and audio calls through the platform without having to share their phone number
For more than a decade, Big Tech companies have generated controversy for their continued interest in collecting customer biometric data. For example, Chinese viral video sensation TikTok gave itself permission to collect users’ “faceprints and voiceprints” with a 2021 privacy policy update
“No phone number needed,” Musk said, responding to earlier comments that the platform would allow users to shield their phone number from parties on the other end of the line. “X is the effective global address book.”
Pending litigation may be another factor that has played a role in the company’s privacy policy updates.
A class action lawsuitfiled in Cook County, Illinois on July 11 of this year, accused X (“X Corp.”) of unlawfully capturing, storing and using the biometric information of Illinois residents without their consent.
Musk’s company, the complaint said, “failed to adequately inform individuals who (knowingly or not) interacted with Twitter that Twitter collects and/or stores their biometric data in every photo uploaded with a face.”
The case rests on the platform’s licensing and use of Microsoft’s PhotoDNA software since about 2015 to monitor pornographic and other not-safe-for-work images posted to Twitter and now X.
The class action lawsuit is seeking $5,000 “for each reckless violation of BIPA (Illinois State’s Biometric Information Privacy Act),” as well as a court-ordered requirement that X store users’ biometric data in accordance with Illinois state law.