The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, following changes to its default settings that allow user data to be used to train the Grok chatbot. Enabled by default, these settings require users to manually opt out if they do not consent.
The DPC has been in dialogue with X regarding these changes for several months, with the most recent interaction occurring just a day before the news surfaced. The commission, surprised by these developments, has requested a formal response from X and expects further discussions early next week.
In response to these changes, users and privacy-focused entities have taken steps to protect their data. If you are a user of X and prefer not to have your information used to train the AI, you can disable this setting by navigating to Settings > Privacy and security > Data sharing and personalization > Grok, and then turning off the option. After disabling the setting, you can further enhance your privacy by deleting any existing conversation history with the AI through the “Delete conversation history” button.
But X isn’t the only platform utilizing user data for AI training. Recently, Meta planned to use public content from Facebook and Instagram for AI training in the EU and UK, but regulatory pressures forced the company to pause these plans.
The debate over using personal data for AI development raises critical questions about privacy and consent. As digital platforms continue to innovate and expand, balancing technological advancement with respect for user rights becomes increasingly essential.