The European data protection regulator is taking a look at the ElonMuskofXThe platform sought clarification on its decision to allow user data to be automatically fed into its artificial intelligence startup xAI, a move that brings new regulatory scrutiny to social media platforms.
Platform X users discovered on Friday that their posts, and those with theirGrok ChatbotThe interaction has been "automatically selected" for "training and fine-tuning" xAI's systems. This decision was made without the explicit consent of the user. This setting can only be changed on the desktop version of Platform X, so users cannot currently opt out via the mobile app.
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Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which oversees internet companies' compliance with EU privacy laws, said it had been in communication with Platform X for "several months" about its plans to use user data to create an AI system. The regulator said it had recently sent the company a query on Thursday about issues such as "user transparency".
A spokesperson for the regulator said: "We were surprised by their introduction of this feature," adding that the regulator had followed up further on Friday with more questions to Platform X to "seek clarification".
Privacy experts have questioned whether this move by X Platform may violate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which requires companies that collect or use personal data to first obtain an individual's consent and disclose their reasons for collecting the data. X Platform could face fines or penalties if the Irish regulator launches a GDPR investigation.
Last month, Meta suspended plans to use data from its Facebook and Instagram platforms for AI training in Europe after the Irish Data Protection Commission raised GDPR compliance issues, which Meta said marked "a step backward in terms of innovation and competition in AI development in Europe."
Musk acquired Platform X for $44 billion in 2022 and faces increasing scrutiny from global regulators as he reduces staff and auditing capacity and introduces sudden product changes. The European Commission is already investigating the company for alleged transparency and auditing issues under the Digital Services Act.
Platform X's security account said on Friday: 'All X users have the ability to control whether their public posts can be used for training'Grok, the AI search assistant." The setup will be available on mobile platforms soon. x platforms did not respond to a request for comment.
The launch comes at a time when Musk is trying to gain an edge over competitors such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, whose current state-of-the-art models are "way ahead" of xAI. access to the X platform's vast amount of user data will provide xAI with a significant advantage. In the meantime, Grok is available to premium subscribers of the X platform.
Musk's network of companies is getting tighter. Engineers and other senior employees move between his businesses, and the serial entrepreneur is seeking approval from Tesla's board to invest up to $5 billion in xAI.
Some xAI investors see its synergies with other Musk entities as a key advantage, but others are concerned about potential conflicts.