Twitter announces updated privacy policy ahead of new EU laws

Twitter is updating its privacy policy in a move to be more transparent with users, ahead of new regulatory guidelines on European data privacy laws, which go into effect next month.

The company says the update will better inform users about how the company uses the information consumers choose to share.

The social media giant announced their new plans on Tuesday, but the policy update will go into effect on May 25 — the same day the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is set to go into effect.

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With the deadline in sight, top tech companies including Twitter and Facebook have scrambled to get their companies up to speed with the new privacy rules targeting how companies can manage user data.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to transparency, and in preparation for new data protection laws that take effect next month, we’re updating our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to empower you to make the best decisions about the information that you share with us,” the company wrote in a blog post.

Twitter said their new privacy policy will offer more focus on “the controls” they give consumers regarding the use of their personal information. It will also allow more focus on how the company shares “public data broadly” and “more clarity” about how the company uses data to keep the Twitter community safe.

The EU’s new privacy laws aim to give consumers greater control over the use of their data, including the ability to learn what information companies have on them as well as the ability to revoke consent for granting company’s access to personal data.

Consumers will also be able to get web services to delete their data or stop distributing it to third parties under the law, in what is known as “the right to be forgotten.”

The privacy update comes at a time when tech companies have faced increased scrutiny for how they use and protect user data, following revelations a political consulting group, Cambridge Analytica,  improperly used millions of Facebook users’ data.