Twitter recently announced updates to its Privacy Policy. The updates are effective on June 18, 2017. By using the social media platform on or after that date, Twitter users will be deemed to have agreed to these updates.

The updates enable Twitter to collect more user data, including about a user’s visits from Twitter to websites based on embedded tweets. More user data means a more robust user profile. A more robust user profile allows an advertiser to select and target ads to those Twitter users that best fit the advertiser’s customer profile. Advertisers typically pay more to place targeted advertisements than they would pay to place a generic ad to all Twitter users. Now that it is has gone public, Twitter seems keen on increasing revenue streams to offset reported losses.

Privacy advocates are unhappy with some of Twitter’s updates. The good news is that Twitter is allowing users to disable some of them. To disable the updates, access Twitter’s personalization settings on your account. Read through the privacy permissions item by item to determine what to disable and what to keep enabled. For example, a user could disable personalize advertisements, but continue to receive generic ones.

Also note that some of Twitter’s updates are not applicable in countries with stronger online privacy protections, such as countries within the European Union.

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