Elon Musk’s social media platform X has rolled out audio and video calling features to all users, not just those with paid subscriptions. However, this update has raised privacy concerns.
The new changes mean that anyone who follows you on X can call you and see your Internet Protocol (IP) address by default. An IP address reveals your device’s location on the internet, and if exposed, it can make you vulnerable to issues like spam, identity theft, or even location tracking. This can be particularly risky for individuals such as human rights activists, who may use pseudonyms to protect their identity from persecution.
If you’d prefer to protect your privacy and avoid unsolicited calls or hide your IP address from others on X, follow these steps in the mobile app:
- Open the X app on your phone.
- Tap your profile picture in the upper-left corner.
- Go to “Settings and Support,” then select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Tap “Privacy and Safety,” then scroll down to the “Direct Messages” section.
From there, you can adjust your settings to block calls and prevent others from seeing your IP address.
How to limit who can see your IP address
If you want to use X’s new audio and video call functions but limit the exposure of your IP address, scroll down and toggle on the “Enhanced call privacy” option. It’s toggled off by default.
X says this setting will help you avoid revealing your IP address to your contact during a call.
In this same menu, you also have a number of choices to limit who can call you, including an option that allows only people in your address book to reach out.
How to turn off audio and video calls entirely
In the “Direct messages” menu, toggle off the “Enable audio and video calling” option. This will collapse the previous options and prevent anyone on X from calling you.
Limiting IP address visibility and turning off the calls entirely is only available in the settings if you are using the mobile app version of the former Twitter. For now, at least, there does not appear to be an option to turn off the feature using the web version of X. A representative for X did not immediately return a message for comment on Monday.
