In this photo illustration, the new Twitter logo rebranded as X (X Corp.) is seen on a smartphone and Elon Musk Twitter account with the new X logo on a pc screen.
Pavlo Gonchar | Lightrocket | Getty Images
The X social media platform formerly known as Twitter will start collecting the biometric and employment information of its users, according to a Thursday update to the company’s privacy policy.
X said the changes have not currently been implemented and will come into effect on Sept. 29.
The firm’s recently updated privacy policy, which details how it collects and processes user information, now says that the company may store and use biometric data “for safety, security, and identification purposes.”
It is not clear how X plans to use the biometric information of users.
Platforms tend to rely on biometrics, such as fingerprints and facial scans, to authenticate people when they sign in, or, in the case of a bank or payment company, when users make a transaction.
X could theoretically collect biometric information from users through their photos or video, by requesting that they turn on their camera. It has not, however, explained how the system would work yet.
The company says it may also collect and use data on people’s employment history and preferences to recommend jobs, potentially putting the app on course to compete with Microsoft-owned LinkedIn.
“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,” X said in its updated privacy policy.
X was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Under Musk, X has sought to expand its reach beyond social media, messaging and audio content into areas such as financial services and recruitment.
The company last year reportedly purchased Laskie, a job recruitment tool, according to Bloomberg News. It marked the first acquisition under Musk since the tech tycoon bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022.
Musk is no longer the CEO of X — he handed over the role to former NBC Universal Chairman of Advertising and Partnerships Linda Yaccarino in June.
In April, X signed a deal with Israeli stock trading app eToro to allow users to view and trade stocks via eToro’s web and mobile apps. EToro recently said it is looking to expand the partnership.
X has been snapping up money transmitter licenses in a number of U.S. states, too, in a bid to launch its own payment features. Musk is a co-founder of PayPal, which emerged from a merger between software company Confinity and X.com, an early online bank also started by the billionaire.
