X Launches Job Listing Feature to Compete with LinkedIn
In a recent post, CEO Elon Musk announced that social network X intends to rival LinkedIn by providing job listings and additional features. To support this endeavor, the company has begun collecting users’ job and education histories, as well as biometric data for safety, security, and identification purposes, as stated in a newly discovered policy reported by Bloomberg. Last month, TechCrunch revealed that the company had already established an official @TwitterHiring account.
“People send me LinkedIn links sometimes, but the anxiety is so high I just can’t bring myself to use it, so I ask to email a resume or bio,” said Musk (who is often mocked for his cringe-worthy posts). “We’re making sure LinkedIn’s X competitor is cool.”
In addition to work history and education, X collects biometric data, although it did not say what kind. “Based on your consent, we may collect and use your biometric information for security and identification purposes,” the updated privacy policy states. Twitter confirmed the update to Bloomberg but did not comment further.
Some verified organizations, including Workweek, have been able to post job postings in their bios in the form of scroll cards, as noted by TechCrunch. According to a screenshot posted by user Nima Owji last month, “Twitter [X] allows verified organizations to bring all their work to Twitter by connecting to a supported ATS or XML feed.” This information may only work in the US for now as it doesn’t show up for me in Europe.
Elon Musk hinted at the feature earlier in May, and in May X acquired a job search technology startup called Laski, the company’s first acquisition under Musk. Workweek CEO Adam Ryan said the job posting was included in X’s $1,000-a-month “guaranteed for organizations” package.
Job postings may eventually be linked to collected work history and education information. “We may collect and use your personal information (such as your work history, education history, work preferences, skills and abilities, job search activity and engagement, etc.) to recommend potential jobs to you [and] to enable employers to find potential candidates,” the policy states. However, it can also be used to “show more accurate advertising”.
Biometric data is also relevant to Elon Musk’s stated goal of ridding the site of inauthentic accounts. However, the collection of this information may attract the attention of regulatory authorities. According to a suit seen by Bloomberg, X is already facing a class-action lawsuit over biometric data stored without permission, say from every photo uploaded to X that contains a face.
