Twitter introduces new data controls and gives its privacy policy an update

Twitter has been lay dormant for some time now. Whilst the like of Facebook and Instagram have been rolling out more stories than any person ever needs to see on their timeline, Twitter has stuck to its roots. They are still very integrated with the Periscope application and have allowed various verified accounts to test some live streaming on the site, but overall Twitter has been rather slow when it comes to technological advances.

What are these updates?

The new updates that Twitter are aiming at introducing allowing the user access to a whole new suite of tools that will permit them to have more access to their personal information and grant them more influence over how said information is controlled. In light of this, Twitter has also updated its privacy policies. The aim of these new features is so Twitter can show you how much they value your privacy. Each Twitter user will now have access to: “a suite of industry-leading tools to give you more access to your information and greater, more granular control over how it is used.”

One of the main aspects they are focusing on is an increased transparency level. Here, Twitter is aiming to expand your Twitter data, which will give you a more in depth access to your personal Twitter information. This includes your demographic and interest data, and the adverts that will be included in your tailored audiences. Each category will be clearly marked and you will be able to access all of this from your desktop or mobile.

An overhaul to the personalisation and data setting will allow you to have access to an even more granular control over how Twitter chooses to use your data. This will include granting you access to how Twitter personalises your experiences on their platform and how information may be shared through partnerships. Having access to these controls means you can have more control over how you personalise your experience and if you decide to opt out of various types of data usage and sharing.

Personalisation across all devices is another focal point for Twitter to engage with. Whenever you choose to log into a device, Twitter will associate your new device with your account and the settings you have in place and personalise it to your preferred style. Your information may be personalised based on the information you have from other devices, which can be turned off if you so choose.

What about my personal data?

Twitter has expanded how it uses and stores people’s data from third-party websites that integrate Twitter’s content. This will include embedded tweets, for example.  Twitter have also said that they do not want to store web page visit data for users who are in the European Union and EFTA States (U.K included).

Finally, Twitter has updated how it shares non-personal and device-level data This includes some select partnership agreements that allow the data to be linked to your name, email or any other personal information formats that Twitter can access. This can only happen when you give your personal consent to these partners though.

So Twitter have finally given us some sort of update which will greatly affect the control we have over our own personal online privacy and what we see on our profiles. A change that is not necessarily essential but is a very nice touch, at least we don’t have Twitter stories yet.