Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) now lets paid users verify their accounts with a government ID to prevent impersonation and keep the platform safe. The company may also ask for a government-issued ID “when needed” and is looking into further safeguards to protect users from spam, rogue accounts, and inappropriate information, according to X’s amended verification policy. Back in August, the new verification method was originally leaked.
The new authorization option will be made possible by X’s collaboration with the Israeli verification firm AU10TIX, according to a pop-up window announcing the feature. AU10TIX has the right to keep all verification data, including “extracted biometric data” and user ID photocopies, for up to 30 days. This may be the reason that at the end of August, X changed their privacy policy to include exceptions for “biometric information.”
A statement that reads “This account is ID verified” when someone clicks their blue checkmark and priority help from X services are two ID verification features for X Premium customers. Additional advantages are also being developed, including a streamlined review procedure required to receive a blue checkmark and more account change flexibility (including profile photo, display name, and user handle).
If the account’s name or intended usage are changed, ownership has been passed to another user, the account is inactive, or for unspecified “safety and security purposes,” users may be required to reverify their account using a government-issued ID.
In order to boost trust in its platform, X claims it will also offer the opportunity to use ID verification for “certain X features.” Although the corporation made no particular mention of what these features would include, it asserts that customers who agree to participate may later earn “additional benefits associated with the specific X feature.” Individual users will be the only ones eligible for these benefits; corporate and organisation accounts are not included.
“Numerous countries” currently offer ID-based verification, although X did not specify which ones. However, it now excludes the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the United Kingdom, most likely because of their stringent data privacy regulations. X promises that it will “soon” expand ID verification to these areas.
