this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2023
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Privacy

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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.

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[–] Blurghglurgh@lemmy.world 82 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Why the hell are people still using that shitty site?

[–] seitanic@lemmy.sdf.org 29 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Toldry@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I use it exclusively for porn, honestly

[–] Blurghglurgh@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean at least you're being honest. Cheers mate, have a nice wank on me! 🌟

[–] PinkPanther@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are you sure you want it on you? If so, ASL?

[–] Blurghglurgh@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, I'm sure. Let's go! ☺️

[–] PinkPanther@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] anon_8675309@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

Say what now?

[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Wtf show me.

[–] SpeedLimit55@lemmy.world -3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

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.

[–] miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] amju_wolf@pawb.social 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

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

[–] miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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@pawb.social -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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.

[–] miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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@pawb.social 1 points 1 year 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.

[–] Xylight@lemmy.xylight.dev 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

If you desperately need Twitter to view something, use Nitter

[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] Xylight@lemmy.xylight.dev 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] selokichtli@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year 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@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

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

[–] ArugulaZ@kbin.social 29 points 1 year ago

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

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

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

[–] Zoidsberg@lemmy.ca 9 points 1 year ago (2 children)

The biometric data collection is for X Premium users only

Weird. Why?

[–] mac@lemm.ee 5 points 1 year ago

They're storing the face pics you send to them, I assume

[–] pkotrcka@sopuli.xyz 4 points 1 year ago

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

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 7 points 1 year 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!

[–] mac@lemm.ee 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

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

[–] JiveTurkey@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

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