Twitter adds ID verification
X (formerly Twitter) now lets paid users verify their accounts using a government-issued ID to prevent impersonation on the platform, The Verge reports.
The company may also ask you to present an ID “when needed” and is looking into bolstering protection against spam, malicious accounts, and non-age-appropriate content.
The new authorisation feature comes through a partnership between X and Israel-based verification company AU10TIX.
AU10TIX may store all verification information, such as ID photos and “extracted biometric data”, for up to 30 days.
This may explain X’s privacy policy update at the end of August that said the company “may collect and use your biometric information for safety, security, and identification purposes”.
Paid users who verify their identity using a government-issued ID will include a line that says “this account is ID verified” when someone clicks on their blue checkmark.
These users will get prioritised support from X services and will soon be allowed greater flexibility to make account changes, such as profile photo, display name, and user handle.
X may ask users to reverify their account with an ID in several scenarios:
- If the account’s name or intended purpose has changed
- If ownership of the account is transferred to another user
- If the account is inactive
- For undisclosed safety and security reasons
The company says ID verification is available in “numerous countries” but doesn’t specify which countries these are. It says it will expand ID verification to more regions “soon”.