Will X ID verification be a remedy for bots?
In an effort to combat bots and improve user trust, X, rebranded version of Twitter, has taken a significant step forward by introducing new X ID verification elements.
These elements aim to enhance security and authenticity by implementing a verification process that helps distinguish between real users and automated accounts.
Battling the bots with X ID verification
The primary goal of these new X ID verification is to identify and mitigate the presence of bots and spam accounts on the platform, ultimately fostering more genuine interactions and trustworthy relationships among users. This proactive approach demonstrates X's commitment to maintaining a high level of user experience.
While specific details about this new X ID verification system are not fully outlined, it suggests that X is taking steps to address concerns related to user verification and trust.
According to the image shared by X user Nima Owji, the new verification system requires you to take a selfie with your government ID.
#X keeps working on the ID verification. You should upload a photo of your ID and take a live selfie. https://t.co/3bdGgzlnZh pic.twitter.com/F4ssglakHR
— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) August 16, 2023
Yes, there are bots, so what?
Bots have permeated X's landscape, often influencing discussions, trending topics, and even public opinion. These automated accounts can engage in a variety of activities, including retweeting, liking, sharing content, and even posting new tweets, or to be updated, xeets.
Due to their automated nature, bots can amplify certain messages, artificially inflate engagement metrics, and make content appear more popular than it truly is. This can lead to distorted perceptions and skewed conversations.
The dangers associated with bots on X are multifaceted:
- Misinformation and manipulation: Bots can spread misinformation rapidly, contributing to the spread of fake news, rumors, and even disinformation campaigns. This can undermine the accuracy of information shared on the platform and create confusion among users
- Algorithm exploitation: Bots can manipulate Twitter's algorithms by artificially inflating engagement metrics such as retweets, likes, and replies. This can result in certain content gaining undue visibility, potentially drowning out authentic voices
- Hijacking conversations: Bots can flood conversations with repetitive or irrelevant content, making it difficult for genuine users to engage meaningfully. This can lead to frustration and deter users from participating in discussions
- Spam and scams: Some bots are designed to engage in spammy behaviors, such as promoting dubious products, services, or phishing scams. These activities can clutter users' feeds and expose them to potential risks
- Political influence: Bots can be used to spread political propaganda or influence public sentiment around political events, elections, and issues. Their ability to amplify specific messages can sway public opinion in unintended ways
Death nail if enforced.
Yeah, I’m never, ever, doing that under any circumstances.
This has nothing to do with Bots people. They need to ID you, so they can track you better and soon if you say something not right, they know who you are. Only fools will ID themselves, and what about when it gets hacked? Come on we are smarter than this! Research WEF and what they are up to, bc our privacy will go totally away if we keep seeing this as normal….
DYOR
Elon Musk hates privacy
Only other people’s privacy.
When it concerns him himself, he even bans the account with the location of his plane (although this information is publicly available on the relevant services).
This isn’t going to go well for the platform at all.
Many people regardless of level of integrity may not want to tie together their personal details to a service such as this, furthermore it is completely unnecessary and may open people up to personal security risks especially when the company clearly is in such a sorry state.
Eventually something else will appear to fill in the gap and then eventually you have to rinse and repeat because all these kinds of services. I am not convinced that Federated services are the solution either as there are other problems there but nonetheless. I look forward to seeing this particular site collapse. It doesn’t have to close down, it can just become an irrelevant wasteland that services as just a money pit for one mans follies … a prospect that is becoming increasingly more likely each day.
It will just become like MySpace… Forgotten but not gone.
Sorry I lost my train of thought or was distracted between my last comment and didn’t finish what I was saying. Eventually all these kinds of services will look to gain from you so you will have to change to another website again when that one also gets too big for its boots. They will not only benefit from your talents and power to draw people in but will want to make additional money on top of that from you in whatever way they can. This is not strictly limited to social media websites but it definitely seems like everyone is going this way. It’s kinda ironic and funny that pirate sites are becoming the most safest of all as they do not want your data or want to track you at all.
I feel like the entire internet is going to hell in a hand basket these days but maybe its just a consequence of our past actions which has enabled and emboldened these people and companies to behave in such a way.
This has everything to do with the balance of power, control, liability and also monetization.
I used to call upon Niter instances to view Twitter posts : I only wanted to read a linked tweet you find a bit everywhere.
Twitter had made it impossible as it seems for front-ends to simply catch and display twwets.
From there on I removed Twitter redirections to Nitter.
I checked reading, only reading, a tweet and was bombarded by Twitter register/login invitations, connection to Google servers even before choosing to register with a Google account (which I have not and should I which i’d never use to register on another domain than Google).
I’d never open a Twitter account but given many sites provide information on their Twitter pages I had opted for Nitter just to get such information.
Nitter R.I.P. plus Twitter abomination = divorce. [twitter.com] is the sort of site I can’t bear, heavy, intricate code, page CSS which will use a mile-long obfuscated lines to refer to a simple ID … but above all this continuous call to register/login is a pain in the neck. As my old man used to say “Don’t get annoyed with people and facts if you have the alternative to simply avoid them”. So I avoid.
‘ This proactive approach demonstrates X’s commitment to maintaining a high level of user experience.’
You say ‘user experience’, I say more unnecessary collection of personal data.
Hey I suppose though if you can’t trust a stable genius like Musk, well who can you trust?
“Verify your account by providing a government-issued ID. This usually
takes about 5 minutes.
What you will need:
– Prepare a government-issued ID
– Check if your device’s camera is uncovered and working
– Be prepared to take a sefie and photos of your ID” [sic]
Um, no. #DeleteTwitter
Brave has a similar scheme to redeem your BAT from Uphold.