X Agrees To EU Data Compliance, Ends Investigation

According to Cointelegraph, the investigation into social media platform X has concluded after the platform agreed to meet the compliance requirements set by the European Data Protection Commission (DPC). On September 4, X agreed to cease using personal data from users located within the European Union and European Economic Area (EEA) for training its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok. The company behind X’s operations, Twitter International Unlimited Company, will erase previous data from May 7 to August 1 and will not collect any further data for developing, enhancing, or training Grok. The DPC filed the initial complaint, citing a risk to the “fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals.” This was the first time the EU data watchdog had to take such action under Section 134 of the 2018 Data Protection Act. DPC Commissioner Des Hogan welcomed the outcome, stating it protects the rights of EU/EEA citizens. He emphasized the DPC’s role in ensuring the best outcome for data subjects and its commitment to taking appropriate action where necessary. Prior to accepting the conditions, Twitter International rejected the DPC’s allegations, claiming compliance with the EU’s GDPR requirements and referring to the orders as “draconian.” However, since X agreed to the measures, the case has been dismissed. The case against the DPC is not the only battle X is currently facing. On August 30, regulators in Brazil suspended the platform after Elon Musk, the platform’s owner, refused to name a legal representative for the firm in the country. The Brazilian Supreme Court upheld the decision on September 2 in a unanimous decision made by five justices. Musk has hinted to X users in Brazil that they should defy the judge’s ruling against using VPNs to access the platform despite potential fines. He has also previously spoken out against Brazilian Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes, accusing him of being “evil” and a “dictator” for allegedly engaging in “illegal political censorship” on X.