ELON MUSK’S TWITTER EMPEROR-STRIPED AND EXPOSED: Irresponsible Use of Europeans’ Personal Data for AI Training
In yet another blow to Elon Musk’s already troubled Twitter empire, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has taken the tech mogul to court, accusing him of using Europeans’ sensitive personal data without consent to train his flagship AI model, Grok. This development is the latest in a litany of scandals plaguing X, the social media platform rebranded by Musk.
Last month, X processed user data to train Grok AI, a move that left privacy experts shaking their heads. The DPC – Ireland’s top data watchdog – was "surprised" by Musk’s decision and demanded more information.
But here’s the kicker – X never notified users and only allowed them to opt out if they were aware of the option, hiding it deep in web settings! This blatant disregard for users’ consent is reminiscent of Meta’s data harvesting antics, which led it to pause a similar AI training project in June amidst regulatory pressure.
The DPC is seeking an injunction against Twitter International, the Irish division of X, to prevent further processing of sensitive user data for AI training without proper legal basis. The proposed injunction includes suspending X’s activities, restricting use of EU users’ data for AI training, and prohibiting unauthorized data processing.
Musk’s X is also facing heat on multiple fronts, including a recent victory for an individual who sued them over shadowbanning practices in the Netherlands. The European Commission recently confirmed it suspects X of violating the bloc’s Digital Services Act, which could lead to penalties of up to 6% of global annual turnover, a significant blow to Twitter’s already battered reputation.
It looks like Elon Musk’s Twitter empires is finally facing real consequences for its irresponsible handling of user data.
The question remains: Will Musk finally take GDPR privacy laws seriously, or will he continue his reckless disregard for users’ online privacy?
