Image: The Verge
X, the platform previously known as Twitter, is expanding the amount of data it collects on users. The social network has updated its privacy policy to include carveouts for “biometric information” and “employment history,” as spotted by Bloomberg.
“Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes,” the privacy policy reads. It doesn’t include any details on what kind of biometric information this includes — or how X plans to collect it — but it typically involves fingerprints, iris patterns, or facial features.
X Corp. was named in a proposed class action lawsuit in July over claims that its data collection violates the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act. The lawsuit alleges that X “has not adequately informed individuals” that it “collects and/or stores their biometric identifiers in every photograph containing a face” that’s uploaded to the platform.
One possibility for using biometric data is enabling passwordless sign-ins. According to findings from app developer Steve Moser, X plans on rolling out support for passkeys, which can use your device’s fingerprint, facial recognition, or PIN to log in to your account. However, the FIDO Alliance — a nonprofit organization that advocates for the use of passkeys — says biometric data and processing “continues to stay on the device and is never sent to any remote server.”
The privacy policy adds that X may also collect “your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement.” That’s likely related to the job search features that X owner Elon Musk has hinted at including. The platform rolled out the beta of a hiring feature for companies last week and also plans on adding video and audio calls with “no phone number needed.”
The current privacy policy, which you can read here, makes no mention of the collection of biometric data or information related to employment history. According to a notice at the top of the page, the new policy doesn’t go into effect until September 29th, 2023.
Update August 31st, 2:09PM ET: Added information from the FIDO Alliance.
