Ireland's DPC Investigates X Over AI Training with EU User Data
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has opened a formal inquiry into X, the social media company, over its processing of European Union users' personal data to train its AI model, Grok as reported by Reuters. The investigation focuses on whether X's data processing and collection from public posts by EU and European Economic Area (EEA) users are in line with the region's data protection regulations.
Being the main regulator for X in the EU, the DPC has extensive powers based on the firm's European headquarters being located in Ireland, such as having the ability to issue fines totaling up to 4% of a company's worldwide turnover under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Emphasize AI Data Training Compliance
The DPC ruled that the probe will look at how X manages personal data visible in publicly facing posts to teach generative AI models such as Grok. The probe has come after continual complaints about the use of users' content to train artificial intelligence by tech businesses without explicit consumer permission.
Reuters reports that this is the latest in Ireland's wider examination of tech companies based in the country. The DPC had earlier handed out significant fines to firms such as Microsoft's LinkedIn, TikTok, and Meta Platforms, with Meta facing fines of almost €3 billion alone.
Past Legal Challenges and Regulatory Pressure
Last year, the DPC took legal steps against X, seeking a court injunction to block the company from processing EU user data for AI development. In response, X agreed to halt AI training using personal data until users were explicitly given the option to withdraw consent. Following this agreement, the regulator dropped its legal case, with assurances from X that the restrictions would remain permanent.
Reuters reports that since the GDPR framework came into force in 2018, Ireland’s DPC has emerged as a key enforcer of data privacy rights in Europe. Although X has largely avoided major penalties in recent years, it did face a €450,000 fine in 2020, the first ever issued by the DPC under the new privacy regime.
Also read: OpenAI to Retire GPT-4 from ChatGPT, Replacing It with Advanced GPT-4o Model
Political Backdrop and Tech Industry Tensions
The investigation comes against a backdrop of growing transatlantic tensions over EU regulations targeting US tech giants. US President Donald Trump and members of his administration have criticized the EU's regulatory approach, characterizing fines against American firms as a form of taxation.
X’s owner, Elon Musk, Trump’s advisor and vocal critic of EU digital policies, has previously condemned regulations imposed by Brussels, especially those governing online content moderation.
