X users are up in arms over safety concerns with X’s calling.
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X made its calling feature available to all users last week.Video and audio calls are turned on by default, but users are going out of their way to disable them.Without the proper settings, your IP address might be visible to other X users on a call.
X’s calling feature has users running to their settings.
The social media site rolled out its calling capabilities last Wednesday to all X users, and a community note was quickly added to the official announcement post as a warning about privacy concerns.
A community note on X’s announcement that audio and video calls had launched for all users.
X.com/@xnews
On its official help site, X explained that by default the calls are “routed peer-to-peer such that each party’s IP address may be visible to the other.” Previously, only premium X members were able to make calls on the app.
The note sent some people into a panic about their IP address — the unique number assigned to your device when it’s connected to the internet — being visible to anyone who calls them via X.
Several posts warning users to toggle off the feature went viral in the days following its release. The calling feature is turned on by default, so you’ll have to adjust it yourself if you want to change it.
If you’re looking to further protect your privacy there are a couple of options that can be found in your X settings.
Disable calls on X altogether
You can disable calls on X altogether or limit who’s able to call you.
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If you’d rather avoid receiving calls on X altogether, you can disable them in three steps.
Go to your direct messages tab
Click the settings icon in the top right corner
Find the “Enable audio and video calling” button and switch it off
Enable enhanced call privacy
There’s a feature that will mask your IP address when toggled on.
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For those who want to play around with the calling feature on X without worrying about their IP address being accessible, there’s an enhanced privacy setting.
Go to your direct messages tab
Click the settings icon in the top right corner
Make sure you have audio and video calling enabled.
Find the “Enhanced call privacy” button and turn it on
According to X, users who turn on this feature will have their IP address masked when they’re on a call.
You can also control who’s able to call you based on whether you follow them, if they’re in your address book, or if they’re verified.