X plans to collect users’ biometric data, along with education and job history
TechCrunchSep 01, 2023
The Facts
Starting September 29, X, formerly Twitter, will begin collecting biometric data and other personal information under an updated privacy policy.
The Elon Musk-owned company’s new policy says this data will be collected for “safety, security and identification purposes.”
The Spin
Narrative A
Collecting this type of data isn’t unusual in the social media realm because it's the best way to verify identity and give users an easier and better experience. Musk vowed to eliminate bots and make the platform more secure, and this is a great step down that path.
Narrative B
Musk’s ongoing destruction of Twitter is marching on during his attempt to turn it into an “everything app” like China’s WeChat. Although it’s not unusual for social media platforms to collect this sort of data, everyone should be wary of giving it to a company with such a fraught history of workplace malfeasance, especially without knowing everything X will be collecting and sharing.