European Privacy Group Files Complaints Against X Over Unauthorized Use of User Data for AI Training

A Vienna-based privacy advocacy group, the European Center for Digital Rights (Noyb), has filed complaints against Elon Musk’s X in eight European countries. The group accuses X of unlawfully incorporating users’ personal data into its Grok AI technology without obtaining their consent. This move comes amidst growing scrutiny over data privacy practices related to artificial intelligence.

The complaints, lodged in Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, claim that X began “irreversibly feeding” the personal data of over 60 million European users into its AI systems. Noyb contends that users were not informed of this change nor were they asked for their consent, a violation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The complaints follow a recent legal action taken by Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC), which sought to address X’s data collection practices. Although the DPC has succeeded in securing a suspension of X’s data processing for AI purposes, Noyb founder Max Schrems criticized the DPC’s approach, arguing it did not fully address the legality of the data processing itself.

Noyb’s complaints emphasize that X’s failure to proactively inform users of its data practices is a significant concern. The group has requested an “urgency procedure” to ensure that data protection authorities across the eight European countries take swift action.

“We want to ensure that X complies with EU law, which requires obtaining user consent before using their data for AI training,” Schrems stated. The outcome of this situation could have significant implications for how social media platforms handle user data in the future.