Elon Musk says X, formerly Twitter, will have voice and video calls, updates privacy policy
PTI, Sep 1, 2023, 8:15 AM IST
San Francisco: Elon Musk said Thursday that his social network X, formerly known as Twitter, will give users the ability to make voice and video calls on the platform.
Musk, who has a history of making proclamations about coming features and policies that have not always come to fruition, did not say when the features would be available to users.
The company also updated its privacy policies that will allow for the collection of biometric data and employment history, among other information.
Musk posted on the former Twitter that the site’s voice and video calls will work on Apple and Android devices as well as on computers, with “No phone numbers needed.”
Rival social platforms already offer voice and video calls. Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, introduced voice and video calls on Messenger in 2015. Snapchat added them in 2016.
X did not immediately respond to a request for more details on the new features or when they will be available.
The platform’s new privacy policy, which goes into effect September 29, tells users that based “on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes.” It does not say what biometric information will be collected. Biometric data can refer to fingerprints, facial recognition and the like.
“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,
Two years ago, Facebook agreed to a USD 650 million settlement of a privacy lawsuit for allegedly using photo face-tagging and other biometric data without the permission of its users.
“X’s announcement is an expansion of the ongoing farming of social network users for personal data that can be used for directed advertising,” Wicker said, adding that such data collection “continues to be a problem for the individuals that provide the data, while a source of wealth for those that take it.”
For users in the European Union, where sweeping regulation cracking down on Big Tech — known as the Digital Services Act — went into effect last week, X also added a new reporting tool for posts and advertisements that may violate the new rules. The feature is not available outside of the EU, where the rules do not apply.
In June, Twitter participated in a voluntary “stress test” to see if it was ready to cope with the DSA’s requirements that include protecting children online and detecting and mitigating disinformation, under both normal and extreme situations. European Commissioner Thierry Breton at the time noted the “strong commitment of Twitter to comply” with the DSA but added that “work needs to continue.”
(AP)
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
BTS2024: If India can make rocket sensors, it can also make car sensors, says ISRO chief Somanath
World COPD Day: Know your lung function
SpaceX successfully launches ISRO’s 4,700 kg communication satellite from US
As AI and megaplatforms take over, the hyperlinks that built the web may face extinction
Plastic waste could double by 2050, researchers find, suggest policies to address issue
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Siddaramaiah says confident of winning all three bypolls in Karnataka
Hop on! IT Minister Priyank Kharge checks out Uber Shuttle at Bengaluru Tech Summit
Actress Kasthuri released from jail, says ‘I thank those who made me raging storm’
Kidnapped for ransom in 1998, 26/11 survivor Gautam Adani faces biggest trial
AIMPLB to hold its annual general sessions in Bengaluru from November 23
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.