X Agrees to Suspend Data Processing in EU Following Court Ruling

X Agrees to Suspend Data Processing in EU Following Court Ruling

X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has agreed to pause its data collection and processing activities in the European Union.

Following a court hearing in Ireland on August 7th, the Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced that X will, “suspend its processing of personal data found in the public posts of X’s EU/EEA users, which it processed between May 7, 2024, and August 1, 2024, for the purpose of training its AI system, ‘Grok.’”

Safeguarding EU User Data

The ruling, which applies to users within the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA), stems from an undertaking by X to the Irish High Court to halt such operations. This action was initiated by the Data Protection Commissioner, the principal regulatory body overseeing X’s activities in the region.

Dr. Des Hogan, chairman of the DPC, welcomed the suspension, stating it allows regulators to continue examining the platform’s compliance with GDPR. “As an independent regulator and rights-based organization, one of our core responsibilities is to ensure the best outcomes for data subjects. Today’s developments are a step forward in protecting the rights and freedoms of X users across the EU and EEA,” Hogan said. He emphasized the DPC’s commitment to engaging with all data controllers to uphold citizens’ data protection rights under EU law.

Concerns about X’s handling of EU user data intensified in late July, following reports that the DPC had been alerted to changes in the platform’s default settings, which allowed users’ data to be utilized (or not) for training Grok.

The Evolution of X

Since Musk completed his acquisition of X in October 2022, the platform has undergone significant changes, including major investments in AI integration. However, these shifts have also led to increased scrutiny from regulators worldwide, who have expressed concerns over the platform’s practices.

In July, the EU published documents supporting preliminary findings that X had breached the Digital Services Act on three counts, potentially facing fines of “up to 6% of the total worldwide annual turnover of the provider.”

Musk has publicly criticized the EU’s actions, alleging that the European Commission proposed an “illegal secret deal” to the platform, which he claims would stifle free speech—a principle Musk says he is actively defending.