Starting next month, X’s updated privacy policy will entitle it to collect some users’ biometric data and other personal information.

Under the revised policy, which takes effect September 29, X (formerly known as Twitter) “may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security and identification purposes” so long as the user provides consent.

The biometric data collection is for X Premium users only, the company told CBS MoneyWatch when reached for further information.

      • @[email protected]
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        1510 months ago

        Like any social media, they make themselves irreplaceable through addiction than users feel like there is no alternative and the company can abuse users as they will.

      • @[email protected]
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        310 months ago

        I signed up when borderlands 2 came out. They would give away gold keys every couple of days. I think I maxed them out. I stayed for sports scores and left because of Elon.

    • @Toldry
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      310 months ago

      I use it exclusively for porn, honestly

    • @SpeedLimit55
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      10 months ago

      Because its still the best (or only) place to get specific news and updates immediately. I mainly follow various sports teams, athletes, and small sports media people. I tried the same on Mastadon but most people are not there. I have not posted anything in many years.

      This biometric stuff is no good though and I will not be participating in that.

      • @[email protected]
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        710 months ago

        Using social media for news has been a bad idea way before the Muskrat had anything to do with it, but sure

        • Amju Wolf
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          10 months ago

          Good! Then convince all those companies and celebrities to use some better platform. Until then that’s what we have.

          • @[email protected]
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            210 months ago

            There’s actual news outlets whose entire thing is sharing properly researched news. Anything else is a crapshoot at best.

            Companies and celebrities who use X exclusively, well idk. Sucks, right?

            • Amju Wolf
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              -110 months ago

              LMAO “properly researched news”. What alternative universe do you live in?

              Also, where do you think those actual news outlets get their information from? Most of the time it’s twitter again.

              • @[email protected]
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                210 months ago

                I never said every news outlet does good work, did I.

                Yes, many people who call themselves journalists for some reason don’t look further than Twitter, and that’s a problem too

                • Amju Wolf
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                  110 months ago

                  Maybe you’re better at finding news sources but I laughed because I can’t really think of event a decent outlet, let alone one where I’d think they do genuinely good work.

                  Many people who call themselves journalist nowadays are just literal bots with a tiny bit of editorial oversight.

        • @[email protected]
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          510 months ago

          FYI, nitter doesn’t work anymore or, at least they’re having a very hard time trying to make it work again and again.

            • @[email protected]
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              410 months ago

              Sure, but if you rely on Nitter in any way, you may want to have a look at their GitHub issues page. I really hope they can still provide the service as long as X exists.

        • @SpeedLimit55
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          110 months ago

          Not worth the hassle for the 5 mins a day I use it on my phone.

  • @[email protected]
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    3710 months ago

    Phones shouldn’t be allowed to fingerprint users, and it should be illegal for companies to collect its data.

  • ArugulaZ
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    2910 months ago

    Our new privacy policy is as follows: you don’t have any.

  • @expatriado
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    10 months ago

    elon wants to find out if he truly has the smallest weewee

  • Zoidsberg
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    910 months ago

    The biometric data collection is for X Premium users only

    Weird. Why?

    • Peter Kotrčka
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      310 months ago

      Because you’re paying for that so Twi… ehm, X can afford a little bit more storage to keep your bio data 😅

  • AutoTL;DRB
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    710 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    Under the revised policy, which takes effect September 29, X (formerly known as Twitter) “may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security and identification purposes” so long as the user provides consent.

    The microblogging platform does not define “biometric” in its policy, but the term generally refers to  automated technologies — including facial recognition software, fingerprint taking, and palm and iris scanning — used for authenticating and verifying unique human body characteristics.

    “The announcement is at least an acknowledgement that X will be doing what other social networks have already been doing in a more covert fashion,” said Stephen Wicker, a professor at Cornell University and expert on data privacy,

    X’s move to collect biometric data comes after the website earlier this year introduced a subscription verification model that requires users to submit their government-approved identification to receive a blue checkmark on their accounts.

    A lawsuit, filed in July alleges that X has not “adequately informed individuals who have interacted (knowingly or not) with [its platform], that it collects and/or stores their biometric identifiers in every photograph containing a face that is uploaded to [the website].”

    In 2021, Facebook agreed to a $650 million settlement of a privacy lawsuit for allegedly using photo face-tagging and other biometric data without users’ consent.


    The original article contains 539 words, the summary contains 211 words. Saved 61%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • @[email protected]
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    610 months ago

    Forgive my ignorance, but do mobile devices even store biometric data ? I was under the impression that our biometric data would be hashed and salted and our thumb/face would unlock it, akin to how a normal password flow works…?

    • TWeaK
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      110 months ago

      I think what they’re implying here is that X (and other apps) can access the biometric sensors directly themselves.

      • @JiveTurkey
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        29 months ago

        I still don’t think that’s how it works even if X would like it to.