X, Elon Musk's social media platform that is previously known as Twitter, updated its privacy policy to reveal that it will begin collecting users' biometric and employment data.
X has said that the changes are not yet in effect but will be on September 29.
Updated Privacy Policy
This illustration photo taken on July 24, 2023, shows the Twitter bird logo upside down in the background of Elon Musk's screen advertising an "X" as a replacement logo, in Los Angeles. Elon Musk killed off the Twitter logo on July 24, 2023, replacing the world-recognized blue bird with a white X.
The business' privacy policy was just changed on Thursday, August 31. The new version, which explains how the company gathers and processes information about its users, now states that the company may retain and utilize biometric data "for safety, security, and identification purposes."
However, CNBC said that X's intentions regarding consumers' biometric data remain unclear. Biometrics like fingerprint and face scans are often used by platforms for user authentication at sign-in or, in the case of a bank or payment business, upon transaction.
With consumers' permission, X could hypothetically acquire biometric data by having them take pictures or videos and send them to the company's system. Yet, it has not yet described how the whole thing will function.
In addition, the business claims it is considering collecting and using information on users' work histories and interests in order to provide career recommendations. With this update, X is possibly positioning the app to compete with Microsoft's LinkedIn.
X's updated privacy policy reads, "We may collect and use your personal information (such as your employment history, educational history, employment preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, and so on) to recommend potential jobs for you, to share with potential employers when you apply for a job, to enable employers to find potential candidates, and to show you more relevant advertising."
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Expansion Outside Social Networking
X, under Musk's ownership, has pushed to broaden its scope beyond social networking, messaging, and audio content into markets like financial services and human resources.
Last year, the corporation apparently bought Laskie, a platform for finding new employees, as reported by Bloomberg. It was Musk's first major purchase since the tech entrepreneur paid $44 billion in 2022 to acquire Twitter.
Musk recently turned up CEO duties at X to Linda Yaccarino, a former NBC Universal advertising and partnerships chief.
In April, X and the Israeli stock trading app eToro entered into an agreement that would make it possible for eToro's online and mobile app users to access X's stock database and make trades using the eToro applications. EToro recently said that it is interested in deepening the collaboration, according to CNBC.
X has also been acquiring money transmitter licenses in many US states in preparation for the launch of its own payment services. Musk is one of the founders of PayPal, which grew out of a combination of his software business, Confinity, and his early online bank, X.com.
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