Illustration depicting the rebranded Twitter logo as X (X Corp.) on a smartphone, along with Elon Musk’s Twitter account displaying the new X logo on a PC screen.
Image by Pavlo Gonchar | Lightrocket | Getty Images
The social media platform formerly known as Twitter, now called X, is set to collect users’ biometric and employment information as per the company’s updated privacy policy released on Thursday.
X has not implemented these changes yet, but they will take effect on September 29.
The updated privacy policy outlines X’s intention to store and utilize biometric data “for safety, security, and identification purposes.”
The specific utilization of users’ biometric information remains unclear.
Biometrics, such as fingerprints and facial scans, are frequently employed by platforms to authenticate users during sign-in or transactions. X might potentially gather biometric data through users’ photos or videos, possibly by enabling camera access, although the exact workings of the system have not been disclosed.
In addition, X states the possibility of collecting and utilizing users’ employment history and preferences to provide job recommendations, potentially challenging Microsoft-owned LinkedIn in the process.
“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,” states X in its updated privacy policy.
When contacted by CNBC, X was not immediately available for comment.
Under the leadership of Elon Musk, X has expanded beyond social media, messaging, and audio content into areas such as financial services and recruitment.
According to Bloomberg News, X acquired job recruitment tool Laskie last year, marking its first acquisition since Musk purchased Twitter for $44 billion in 2022.
Musk has since stepped down as X’s CEO, with former NBC Universal Chairman of Advertising and Partnerships Linda Yaccarino taking over in June.
In April, X partnered with Israeli stock trading app eToro to allow users to view and trade stocks through eToro’s web and mobile apps, with plans to expand the partnership further.
X has also obtained money transmitter licenses in various U.S. states in preparation for launching its own payment features. Musk, a co-founder of PayPal, previously launched X.com, an early online bank that eventually merged with Confinity to form PayPal.
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