2y ago

X's new privacy policy allows it to collect users' biometric data

www.cbsnews.com

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.

33 comments

Why the hell are people still using that shitty site?
- Because they're addicted.
  
  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.
- 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.
- I use it exclusively for porn, honestly
  
  I mean at least you're being honest. Cheers mate, have a nice wank on me! 🌟
  
  Say what now?
  
  Wtf show me.
- 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.
  
  Using social media for news has been a bad idea way before the Muskrat had anything to do with it, but sure
  
  If you desperately need Twitter to view something, use Nitter
Our new privacy policy is as follows: you don't have any.
elon wants to find out if he truly has the smallest weewee
The biometric data collection is for X Premium users only
Weird. Why?
- They're storing the face pics you send to them, I assume
- Because you're paying for that so Twi.. ehm, X can afford a little bit more storage to keep your bio data 😅
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!
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..?
- I think what they're implying here is that X (and other apps) can access the biometric sensors directly themselves.
  
  I still don't think that's how it works even if X would like it to.

33 comments