X (formerly Twitter) is in trouble after its sneaky moves were exposed, prompting privacy watchdogs to cry foul. The social media giant, owned by tech mogul Elon Musk, is under fire for using European users’ data to train its AI chatbot Grok without saying “please”.
Late last month, a sharp-eyed user spotted a hidden setting that showed X silently feeding EU users’ posts to its AI. This revelation left the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) scratching its head and wondering how this had gotten under their noses.
Twitter just activated a setting by default for everyone that gives them the right to use your data to train grok. They never announced it. You can disable this using the web but it's hidden. You can't disable using the mobile app
Direct link: https://t.co/lvinBlQoHC pic.twitter.com/LqiO0tyvZG
— Kimmy Bestie of Bunzy, Co-CEO Execubetch™️ (@EasyBakedOven) July 26, 2024
Nine countries, one big headache for X
Privacy rights group Noyb has stepped up to the plate, supporting complaints in nine EU (Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain) countries. They accuse X of breaking the rules by not asking users for permission before using their data to make Grok smarter.
Max Schrems, the head of Noyb, doesn’t mince words. He accuses the DPC of not doing enough to keep X in line. The group wants to make sure that X plays by EU rules, which means at least asking users before they use their data.
A game of cat and mouse
The DPC isn’t sitting on its hands, though. They’ve taken X to court in Ireland, trying to get them to stop using the data. But Noyb says that’s not enough – they want X to delete the data they’ve already gobbled up. X seems to think it can use people’s data without asking, citing something called “legitimate interest.” But privacy experts are shaking their heads, saying X needs to get a clear “yes” from users first.
This isn’t the first time a big tech company has tried to sneak off with user data for AI training. Meta (you know, Facebook’s parent company) tried something similar but hit the brakes when people started making noise. X, on the other hand, managed to keep its data feast going from May to August without anyone noticing. They did add an opt-out button eventually, but it’s like closing the barn door after the horse has bolted.
The complaints against X argue that using data from 60 million EU users without their say-so just doesn’t fly. Schrems points out that getting user consent isn’t rocket science – companies do it all the time for other things.
With Europe’s top court already frowning on similar practices, X could find itself in hot water. Let’s not forget that violating EU privacy rules can lead to fines that would lighten even Elon Musk’s wallet. As this story unfolds, one thing is clear: in the world of big tech and big data, what you don’t know can hurt you – or at least your privacy.
Featured image credit: Freepik
