Elon Musk’s X Faces Legal Action In Ireland Over Data Privacy
Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) taking the company to court over allegations of improper data use
Elon Musk’s social media platform X is now involved in a legal battle in Ireland, with the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) taking the company to court over allegations of improper data use.
The DPC is suing X for using European user data to train its "Grok" AI model without informing or obtaining consent from users, a move that has raised significant privacy concerns.
The DPC’s action follows X’s recent decision to process user data for AI training purposes, which it did without notifying users or seeking their approval. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) mandates that any processing of personal data must be legally justified, and non-compliance with these rules can result in substantial penalties—up to 4 per cent of a company’s global annual turnover.
The Irish regulator is seeking an injunction against X’s Irish division, Twitter International, citing urgent risks to user rights and freedoms. The DPC’s legal action may also involve the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), which could provide further guidance on the application of GDPR across the EU.
