X Adding Voice and Video Calls, And A New Privacy Policy To Collect Users’ Biometric Data And Work History

Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has issued an updated privacy policy that allows it to collect users’ biometric data and employment history beginning late next month.

Owner Elon Musk also announced Thursday that users will soon be able to make voice and video calls on the platform, using Apple and Android devices or computers, with no phone number needed.

The new privacy policy says X “may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security and identification purposes” with users’ consent. The company did not specify what biometric data, which could include identifying photos, fingerprints or even retinal scans, though X Premium users already must provide government ID to become verified.

In an apparent bid to continue expanding X into what owner Elon Musk called an “everything app,” the new policy indicates the platform is moving into the job-search space.

“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 new policy states.

Some users balked at the new privacy policy, but others argued the data collection has become standard practice for many online platforms and digital services.

“The shock and awe in the X announcement, is the additional request for this data seems misplaced with the current platform. Will this ‘everything app’ be everything?” said tech executive Marva Bailer, author of “Be Unexpected: Resetting Routines to Revolutionize the Future of Work.”

“The digital economy allows for experimentation adding new categories to loyal customers. The X ‘everything app’ is a similar story to Amazon entering the grocery business, and now we would not think twice about associating Amazon with Whole Foods and a great delivery experience,” Bailer said.

“Ninety-seven percent of people do not read privacy agreements,” Bailer said, but, “if you have used your eyes or fingerprints to open and application, that is biometric data. If you have used a job search engine to find work or even an online application, you have shared your employment data.”

But even though biometric data collection is becoming more common, users should still be aware of the risks, said Kris Ruby, founder of Ruby Media Group.

“Biometric data is used for identity verification, but it can also be used against you. Users have the right to know how their biometric data will be used and how long it will be stored for. Users should be concerned about the prospect of biometric hacking — unauthorized access of biometric data — not only on this platform, but on every social media platform,” Ruby said.

For users based in Europe, the Digital Services Act, or DSA, went into effect last week, requiring that platforms moderate their content to protect children and curb misinformation. In order to comply with the new regulations, X introduced a reporting tool for flagging posts and ads that violate them.

“The AI infrastructure Musk is building is critical for automated AI content moderation driven by machine learning. To comply with The DSA, X must be rigorous about content enforcement. He can do this by increasing headcount or increasing automated content governance. It is clear to me he is choosing the latter,” Ruby said.

“Musk’s push to get journalists to publish on X is directly at odds with the new AI clause. Musk states that it is ‘just public data,’ but the data is the body of work a journalist publishes, which can include copyrighted material,” Ruby said. “Journalists need the ability to opt out of having their work scraped for AI training data.”