Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, could be facing scrutiny from the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) over its new data collection practices.
The platform has enabled its Grok chatbot to be trained using data from any user by default, potentially breaching EU regulations.
Users of X have discovered a setting deep within the platform’s options that allows their posts, interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning the chatbot. The setting is enabled by default, as indicated by a pre-checked box, with the accompanying text: “Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning.”
This practice could potentially violate the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which mandates that companies must inform users and provide a clear opt-out before expanding data collection practices. The privacy advocacy group NOYB (None of Your Business) has indicated that this setting “very likely” infringes on the law.
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“Twitter/X should have informed its users properly and asked for consent,” the Vienna-based non-profit told TNW. NOYB is currently examining the specifics of X’s data collection methods.
X’s situation mirrors a recent controversy involving Meta. In June, Meta faced backlash for its plans to train AI models using personal data without user consent. NOYB filed complaints across 11 EU countries, challenging Meta’s practices. Meta defended its actions by claiming a legitimate interest in using publicly available data for AI training.
Similarly, X might argue it has a legal basis for its data collection practices. However, whether the EU regulators will accept this argument remains to be seen. For users wishing to opt-out, the process is not straightforward. On the X mobile app, there is no clear way to disable the data collection. However, users can turn off the settings on the web version by navigating through Settings > Privacy and Safety > Grok and unchecking the box.
The unfolding situation adds to the growing list of privacy concerns surrounding tech giants and their data collection practices, particularly in the context of AI training. As the EU continues to enforce GDPR strictly, X may find itself under increased scrutiny and potential legal challenges.
