Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has agreed to pause the use of personal data from European Union (EU) users in training its AI systems until further notice. This decision was disclosed during a hearing in an Irish court on Thursday.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which serves as the primary EU regulator for major U.S. tech companies due to their European operations being based in Ireland, has recently sought a court order to suspend or restrict X from processing user data for developing, training, or refining its artificial intelligence systems.
X, which is owned by Elon Musk, has stated that it allows users to choose whether their public posts can be used by the platform’s AI chatbot, Grok. To opt out, users must untick a specific box in their privacy settings.
However, Judge Leonie Reynolds pointed out that X had already begun processing EU users’ data for AI training on May 7, even though the option to opt out was only introduced on July 16. Additionally, the opt-out feature was not initially available to all users, further complicating the situation.
During the court proceedings, a lawyer representing X confirmed that the data collected from EU users between May 7 and August 1 would not be utilized until the court resolves the DPC’s request for a suspension order. X’s legal team is expected to submit opposition papers against the suspension by September 4.
In a statement posted on X’s platform on Wednesday, the company’s Global Government Affairs account criticized the regulator’s order as “unwarranted, overbroad, and singling out X without any justification.”
This regulatory concern over X’s data usage follows a similar situation involving Meta Platforms, which decided in June to delay the launch of its Meta AI models in Europe after the Irish DPC advised against it. Earlier this year, Alphabet’s Google also agreed to postpone and modify its Gemini AI chatbot following discussions with the Irish regulator.
The ongoing disputes highlight the growing scrutiny of AI development practices in Europe, where regulators are increasingly focused on protecting user data and ensuring compliance with the EU’s stringent data protection laws.
