The corporation running the social media platform previously identified as Twitter, now named X, has ceased using data from its European users to support the functioning of its Grok AI tool, according to statements from Ireland’s data authority. X pledged to pause the handling of personal information gathered from the public posts of its European users between May 7 and August 1 2024, for the aim of training their AI application, ‘Grok’, the Data Protection Commission stated in a released communication.
This adjustment was executed after X offered a commitment to the High Court to temporarily halt the utilisation of the personal data of their European user base in the operation of any of their AI systems. This commitment was made amid legal proceedings initiated against Twitter International Unlimited Company by the DPC.
Following the legal action undertaken by the DPC against the corporation, this pact was established due to rising concerns around the management of data from EU users. It includes users of X spread across the EU and the European Economic Area, with the DPC in Ireland acting as the leading regulator for the corporation.
With a cordial welcome to X’s commitment to pause processing, Commissioner Dale Sunderland and DPC Chairman Dr Des Hogan will continue to scrutinise the processing conformity with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As an autonomous regulating and rights-based body, the DPC aims to ensure optimal outcomes for data subjects. The development will be significant in preserving the rights of X users across the continent.
For the initial time, a supervisory authority has initiated this action. This is also the first time the DPC has tried to utilise its powers under Section 134 to safeguard the rights of X’s European users, following detailed interaction between the DPC and X on the topic of AI model training.
In response to inquiries, X responded through email saying: “Busy now, please check back later.”