In the updated privacy policy spotted by Bloomberg, X noted, “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,”

Why does X/Twitter want to store your biometric data?

The company clarified that biometrics will be used for adding an extra layer of verification for premium users, giving them the ability to provide their government ID and picture. 

“This will additionally help us tie, for those that choose, an account to a real person by processing their government-issued ID…This will also help X fight impersonation attempts and make the platform more secure.”

The social media platform also informed in the updated privacy policy that it intends to collect and use other personal information of users like employment history and other job search activity. 

In the updated privacy policy, X noted, “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,”

X was involved in a class action suit earlier this year for allegedly wrongfully storing and using an Illinois resident’s biometric data without their consent, reported Bloomberg.

According to the suit filed on July 11, “X has not adequately informed individuals who have interacted (knowingly or not) with Twitter, that it collects and/or stores their biometric identifiers in every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to Twitter”

Updated: 01 Sep 2023, 02:10 PM IST