Skip to main content

Twitter’s new Privacy Center lets you know what’s happening with your data

Twitter says it wants to be more upfront about the way it handles user data, and has launched a new Privacy Center with that goal in mind.

Admitting that “we have room for improvement” when it comes to communicating with its users about how it protects their privacy, Twitter on Monday explained what the new Privacy Center is all about.

Related Videos

In a blog post, it said the aim is to provide “more clarity around what we’re doing to protect the information people share with us,” describing the center as “the central place that hosts everything that’s part of our privacy and data protection work: Related initiatives, announcements, new privacy products, and communication about security incidents.”

The center will also act as a place to find and learn more about how the San Francisco-based company is working to keep user data secure, with information on what data it collects, how it’s used, and the privacy controls available to users.

“We believe companies should be accountable to the people that trust them with their personal information, and responsible not only to protect that information but to explain how they do it,” the company said.

Twitter said that while it has always offered a level of privacy by letting people on its platform create pseudonymous accounts and control who sees their tweets, there are “teams across the company” constantly working behind the scenes to protect users’ privacy and data.

Such work has three areas of focus, the company said. First, it works to fix what it describes as “technical debt,” where site issues — both privacy- and security-related — arise as new features and services are built on top of older systems. Second, it focuses on building effective privacy into all new products that it launches. And third, it endeavors to remain accountable to the people that use the platform and who trust the company to handle their data responsibly.

In a move toward greater transparency with its community, Twitter has been communicating more data and security issues over the last two years. At the start of this year, for example, it reported it had found a bug that revealed the tweets of protected accounts, while in the spring it apologized after it emerged it had mistakenly stored the location data of some users.

“Privacy and data protection is the heart of our 2020 companywide priority to build products that earn the trust of people who use them,” Twitter said.

Editors' Recommendations

Hive Social is my favorite Twitter alternative, but that’s not saying much
iPhone 14 Pro in hand showing off profile page on Hive Social app

Ever since Elon Musk bought Twitter, it seems that the once-favorite social media site has just been going down in flames. It’s a sad sight to see — fake news and misinformation running rampant from paid “verified” accounts, restoration of formerly banned accounts (they were banned for good reason), and so much other stuff that I just can’t keep up anymore. With all of these changes, there’s been a rise in alternatives to Twitter, like the incredibly popular Mastodon.

I prefer something simpler, like the new Hive Social that has recently made waves. Think of Twitter and Instagram, and what you would end up with if you combined the two. There’s also a little dash of Myspace in there, as you can even add some music to your profile page. I’ve been poking around on Hive Social since I joined a week ago, and while I’ve been enjoying my time there, I also noticed a few things along the way.
Hive reminds me of the early days of Twitter
OnePlus 10T Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Read more
Your iPhone may be collecting more personal data than you realize
The power key on the side of the iPhone 14 Plus.

It's widely believed that iPhones are among the most secure smartphones you can buy — and that's largely true. But what if your iPhone was collecting more personal data about you than you were led to believe? According to security researchers Tommy Mysk and Tala Haj Bakry, that's exactly what's happening.

Late in the evening on November 20, Mysk and Bakry published a series of tweets digging into something called "Directory Servicers Identifier" — or "DSID" for short. When you set up your iPhone for the first time, Apple asks if you want to share analytics data with the company to "help Apple improve and develop its products and services." You're then given a DSID if you agree to this, and upon doing so, Apple states that "none of the collected information identifies you personally." According to Mysk and Bakry, however, that may not be entirely accurate.

Read more
What is Twitter Blue and is it worth it?
Twitter Blue menu option on a white screen background which is on a black background.

If you spend time on Twitter, you've probably heard the phrase "Twitter Blue" at some point and wondered what exactly it is. We're not talking about the signature shade of blue featured in its logo -- we're talking about the premium version of Twitter.

That's right. There's a paid tier for Twitter that many people don't even know exists that launched in July of 2021. And then relaunched again under Elon Musk's ownership in November 2022. Don't worry -- we'll explain everything below.
What is Twitter Blue?

Read more