- By Vikas Yadav
- Fri, 18 Aug 2023 05:22 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Elon Musk's X (formerly called Twitter) is working to step up user identification on its app and curb impersonation via a new 'ID Verification' feature. This comes on the heels of massive misuse of user identity via impersonation after the introduction of Twitter Blue (now X Premium) service. In the new scheme, the social media company may ask users to upload their government ID and a selfie for identification, according to a screengrab posted by Nima Owji, an app researcher on X.
According to Engadget, Owji spotted the feature on the platform. Further, he discovered the 'ID verified' badge on the Tesla CEO's account a few days back and regularly updates the audience on unreleased features. The process will likely use the identity verification agency Au10tix for this purpose.
Also Read: LinkedIn Introduces Identity Verification For Indian Users; Here's What It Means
"Verify your account by providing government-issued ID. This usually takes about 5 minutes," the text of the ID verification feature said. The consent form says the agency may use biometric and personal data to confirm identity. These details will be stored for up to 30 days. Further, data from profile may be used "for the purposes of safety and security, including preventing impersonation." According to the About page of Au10tix, it has worked with Microsoft, Google, Uber, PayPal and more companies.
As per the app researcher, this feature may be optional and limited to X Premium users. But in a previous post, he added that the functionality may be "necessary to enable the Blue features". At the time of filing, no official information is available on the release of the feature via official channels.
The menace of duplicate accounts came to the fore in the initial days of Twitter Blue's implementation. X has a different set of verification mechanisms to offer users a verified checkmark and other exclusive benefits in its Premium service.