In a significant development, Elon Musk, CEO of the social network X, which was previously known as Twitter, revealed on Thursday plans to roll out voice and video call functionalities on the platform. These features come with the distinctive promise of requiring “No phone numbers needed.” Alongside this announcement, the company also unveiled an overhaul of its privacy policies, encompassing the gathering of biometric data and employment histories, among various other data points.
This strategic move by X represents its initial stride into the realm of voice and video call, a domain already firmly established by competitors like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. As this transformation takes shape, X aims to emulate the communication capabilities that have come to define the contemporary social media landscape.
Regrettably, X refrained from furnishing immediate responses to inquiries seeking more profound insights into the new features, their functionality, or the anticipated launch dates. The veil of mystery surrounding these innovations only serves to stoke curiosity among the platform’s users and observers alike.
As the dawn of this novel era approaches, users within the European Union will find solace in an augmented reporting mechanism, tailored for posts and advertisements potentially infringing upon Digital Service Act (DSA) regulations. This strategic inclusion signifies X’s commitment to aligning with the stipulations of the DSA, a comprehensive framework that addresses diverse aspects of online activity, encompassing child protection and the containment of false information propagation.
The trajectory that X is embarking upon, marked by the incorporation of voice and video communication channels and an updated privacy framework, is a seismic shift reverberating throughout the industry. Stephen Wicker, an esteemed professor specializing in data privacy at Cornell University, opined that this announcement signals an “acknowledgement that X will be doing what other social networks have already been doing in a more covert fashion.” Wicker further elaborated on the concerns surrounding data collection, emphasizing its dual nature – a source of concern for data providers and an avenue of wealth accumulation for the data aggregators.
In retrospection, Facebook’s entanglement in a $650 million settlement due to a privacy lawsuit, attributed to unauthorized utilization of biometric data, underscores the pertinence of this development. The resonance of such instances within the realm of Big Tech has catalyzed the evolution currently being witnessed across companies like X.
While the unfolding of Elon Musk’s vision remains an uncharted course, the implications stemming from the unveiling of voice and video call functionalities, coupled with a comprehensive privacy policy overhaul, are bound to reverberate for years to come. X’s ambition to enhance user experience through refined data collection methodologies could potentially herald a new chapter in the governance of data.
In this era of fast-paced technological evolution, the spotlight remains on X, its strides towards communication diversification, and the underpinning commitment to fortify digital spaces in accordance with contemporary regulatory paradigms. As the global digital community watches with bated breath, the journey of X into this uncharted territory is poised to reshape the trajectory of social networking as we know it.
Source: AP News
