X's New ID Verification: A Solution to Digital Impersonation

The social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, now offers a monumental feature that enables its paid users to verify their accounts using a government-issued ID. The strategic move is aimed at inhibiting incidents of impersonation and fostering a safer digital environment, The Verge reveals.

This unique security feature results from a collaboration between X and the Israeli verification firm, AU10TIX. The duo shares a common objective – to generate a sturdy shield against spam, exploitation by malicious accounts and restricting non-age-appropriate content.

AU10TIX will be responsible for maintaining all verification-related data, encompassing ID photographs and extracted biometric details. These details will securely be in storage for a maximum period of 30 days. This arrangement potentially clarifies X's privacy policy update, which was rolled out towards the end of August. The revised policy foresaw the company’s intent to accumulate and utilize biometric information for safety, security, and identification objectives.

X users who opt to verify their online identity via a government-issued ID will showcase an informative line stating, "this account is ID verified" when their blue checkmark is clicked. With the new secure status, these users will enjoy prioritized support from X's services. They will also soon have enhanced flexibility to make account modifications including profile photo, display name, and user handle changes.

X has reserved the discrepant right of requesting proof of identity verification in various scenarios. However, the company has not specified the conditions under which re-verification would be necessary. Moreover, while this feature is available in “numerous countries", the company has yet to disclose which these regions are. X indicates it has plans to roll out this ID verification feature to additional regions in the foreseeable future.