Europe cracks down on X’s data practices for AI training

Europe is zeroing in on big tech once more, and it’s not just about the Digital Markets Act, which is designed to create fairer conditions in the digital space and is the reason Apple Intelligence isn’t launching in the EU. This time, European lawmakers are focusing on how X handles user data to train its AI chatbot, Grok.

X faces allegations of using EU user data to train Grok without consent

According to a recent report, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has taken legal action against Twitter International, X's Irish division. The DPC is raising concerns about how the personal data of millions of European users on X is being handled.

The DPC alleges that Twitter International is falling short of its GDPR obligations in how it uses Grok, the AI chatbot. GDPR is the EU regulation designed to protect information privacy and data security.

The data protection watchdog is particularly concerned that European users' data might be used to train the upcoming version of Grok, which Musk has said is set to launch sometime this month.

In July, X introduced a change that automatically opted all users into a setting allowing their public posts to be used for training its AI chatbot. While the DPC recognizes that X provided an opt-out option, it isn’t satisfied with that. The agency argues that X didn't adequately inform users about how their data would be used for Grok's training.

For a company to legally process user data, it typically needs explicit consent from the user or a legitimate reason related to fulfilling a contract. While there are other valid reasons for data processing, the DPC’s complaint suggests that it doesn’t think X has a solid legal foundation for its current practices.