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New Verification Policies of Social Media Platform X · Elon Musk Podcast

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  Hi everybody and welcome back to another episode of the Elon Musk
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  Podcast. Today we have quite a complex
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  topic to unravel. It's a story that has just come
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  to the surface regarding the social media platform X,
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  formerly known as Twitter. Now this platform is now
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  allowing paid users to verify their accounts using government
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  ID's. And what's notable is that this
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  new form of identification isn't available everywhere.
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  Specifically, users in the European Union, the European
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  Economic Area, and the United Kingdom are excluded.
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  And why is this change even happening?
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  Well, ostensibly to prevent impersonation and keep the
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  platform secure. But there are many layers to
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  peel back here, including concerns over data privacy, the
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  influence of external companies in this process, in the
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  bifurcation of the user base into paid and freed categories.
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  Now the feature has its origins in Israel, where the company
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  Authentics is facilitating its new ID verification process.
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  Data, potentially including biometric information, will be
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  stored for a period of up to 30 days, raising eyebrows about
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  personal privacy. And here's another twist.
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  ID based verification is currently available only for
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  paid users, creating another divide in an already stratified
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  online space. Now let's start by looking at
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  how X is implementing this ID verification.
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  The initiative seems to be a protective measure that aims at
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  preventing impersonation and in the future regulating access to
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  age specific content. X is teaming up with Authentics
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  and Israeli based firm specializing in identity
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  verification. A pop up window will prompt
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  users to upload their government issued ID's and the information
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  collected will be stored for up to 30 days.
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  Now this development could explain why X recently updated
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  its privacy policy to include cards for biometric information,
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  a term that has been causing a lot of discussion lately.
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  Now if you go through this process, your profile report a
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  note saying your government ID has BeenVerified.
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  But there's a catch. You only see this verification
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  status when clicking on the blue mark on the profile.
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  And this makes us wonder, is this another status symbol or a
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  genuine measure for concrete security?
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  Now moving out to the benefits of the verification, what do you
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  really get from this? X states that users verified IDs
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  will get prioritized support from X services, although the
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  specifics of what that means are somewhat shredded in history and
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  the tangible benefits appear limited, especially given that
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  this whole mechanism is locked behind a paywall.
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  The service is exclusive to paid users, at least for now.
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  And in a similar vein, X allows their paid users to hide their
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  verification check marks if they choose to do so, which also
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  seems contradictory to the stated goal of transparency and
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  security. So is the platform enhancing
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  security or merely adding another tier of exclusivity to
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  its services now? Remember, Twitter, now
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  transformed into X, had previously discontinued its
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  legacy verification program. The action led to some chaos,
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  with top accounts losing their check marks.
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  But that check mark soon made its comeback, underscoring how
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  important it has become as a status symbol.
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  And when it comes to privacy, X made another change last month
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  that gave it the power to capture users, biometric data,
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  educational background, and job history.
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  These changes are unfolding at a time when X's parent company is
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  under scrutiny for its data privacy practices, adding
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  another layer of complexity to this verification process.
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  Now let's turn our gaze toward Europe, where this feature is
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  not yet available. X sidesteps European markets,
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  presumably due to stringent data protection laws.
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  Given this new system potentially involves the
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  collection and storage of sensitive personal data, it's
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  understandable that X would tread carefully in these
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  jurisdictions. But it doesn't mention that it
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  plans to extend this feature to Europe soon, leaving us
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  pondering the legal gymnastics that will be required to make
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  this happen. Now it's worth mentioning the
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  competition. There's Blue Sky.
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  Funded by Twitter and backed by Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey,
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  which recently hit a million users, Blue Sky has adopted A
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  decentralized approach and aims to remain free, offering a paid
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  domain service as a means for users to verify their identity.
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  Then there's Metas Threads, which read 100 million users in
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  just a week after becoming available in July.
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  It seems the landscape of social media is witnessing interesting
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  developments in terms of user verification and identity
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  management, making X's steps even more noteworthy.
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  It's essential to touch on the reactions from the public and
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  users of the platform too. There's clear split in opinions,
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  as some viewing the new verification process as a
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  necessary step towards ensuring platform security, while others
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  see it as an intrusion into personal privacy.
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  There's a strong sentiment that the move to offer this
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  verification only to paid users sets a dangerous precedent.
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  It creates an online hierarchy and potentially marginalizes
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  those can't afford or choose not to opt for the paid version.
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  Now, Authentics involvement brings in its own set of
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  concerns. External companies having access
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  to sensitive user data and personal data has always been a
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  contentious issue, while Azure's users that the data is securely
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  stored and only kept for limited time.
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  Past incidents with other platforms have made users wary.
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  Now this partnership evolves and what it means for users, data
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  privacy will be crucial in determining the public's trust
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  in this new feature. Now, from a business standpoint,
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  though, X's move is strategic. The page here offers an
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  additional revenue stream in an age where platforms are looking
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  for sustainable monetization methods outside traditional
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  advertising, and by adding exclusive features like ID
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  verification to the paid, tier X is creating a premium experience
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  for its subscribers. But this approach begs the
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  question, is online safety and security a luxury only a few can
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  afford now? As we project into the future,
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  it's interesting how to how the shift will impact online
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  interactions. Will other platforms follow
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  suit, making ID verification a common feature?
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  Or will there be push back, leading to more decentralized
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  platforms where user privacy is paramount?
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  Additionally, as online misinformation continues to be a
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  significant concern, it's worth asking if ID verification play a
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  role in curbing the spread of fake news and ensuring more
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  authentic online interaction. While it's not a foolproof
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  solution, the biggest step in the right direction, the realm
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  of online identity and verification is very complex.
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  As platforms like X continue to adapt and change their
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  strategies, the balance between ensuring user security and
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  upholding data privacy remains delicate.
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  It's essential for users to stay informed and understand the
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  changes that directly impact them, and we conclude this
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  discussion. One thing's clear, the digital
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  world is changing and as users, we need to be proactive in
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  understanding these changes, in adapting accordingly.
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  Now thank you so much for listening to the Elon Musk
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  podcast today and joining me and your support.
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  Engagement mean the world to us. So remember, if you haven't
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  already hit that subscribe or follow button on your preferred
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  podcast platform. This pasta thing and helps us
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  bring more insightful topics to you.
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  And until next time, keep the discussions going and always
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  stay informed. Please take care of yourselves
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  and each other. I'll see you in the next one.