X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has launched its government ID-based account verification for its paid users to prevent impersonation and give them benefits like "prioritized support," among others.
TechCrunch reported that the social network has partnered with Israeli tech firm Au10tix for identity verification solutions. The pop-up for ID verification indicates that the Au10tix could store this data for up to 30 days.
X's support page for verification has also suggested that, while ID verification is available in "numerous countries," it would not be available in the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), and the UK, likely due to the region's stringent data protection laws, particularly the GDPR.
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Gov't ID-Based Authentication Used to Prevent Fakes, X Says
The ID-based verification seemed like a pre-empted step currently leading to almost no benefits, with the company further saying that it might age-gate some content based on the age derived from the ID.
X added that the reason behind the ID-based verification was to "prevent impersonation," with further plans to explore "additional measures," such as ensuring users have access to age-appropriate content and protecting against spam and malicious accounts, to maintain the integrity of the platform and safeguard healthy conversations. The company also said those with ID verification would get "prioritized support" from X Services but fell short of identifying what that meant.
Users who have undergone the verification process will have a note saying that their government ID was verified. However, users could only see it when they clicked on the blue checkmark on their profile page.
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