Elon Musk continues a series of questionable decisions on his pronounced quest to turn Twitter into the “Everything App.”
While the name change from “Twitter” to “X” made the platform easy to confuse with a porn site, the newest proposed change is downright creepy.
On August 18, PC Magazine reported Twitter will begin allowing users to verify their accounts by taking a selfie with a government-issued ID.
The initial headline continues to cause confusion, leading some to believe that every Twitter user will be required to verify their account through this method. Others believe only Twitter Blue users will be required to verify. Another interpretation is that ID verification will remain voluntary for any user who wishes to verify their account.
A close reading of the original Engaget report is still somewhat unclear. It does however, appear that the ID verification will be an optional feature that will add an additional badge to a user’s profile.
Regardless, as if the idea of mandatory verification wasn’t scary enough, it is reported that Twitter will be partnering with an Israeli software company to verify users. According to MiddleEast Eye, the Israeli company, AU10TIX, was founded by and currently employs former Israeli Military Intelligence officers.
As Musk has clearly opted to giving Blue Users more visibility on the site, creators who seek to promote their brands may be required to hand their personal data over to an Israeli Military Intelligence contractor.
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