Musk's X allows AI models to train on your posts
What's the story
X, the social media platform, is changing its privacy policy to allow sharing of user data with third-party "collaborators" for AI model training.
The updated policy, which will come into effect on November 15, 2024, could pave the way for deals like Reddit's where outside companies pay for access to data.
The change was spotted in a new section of X's updated policy "third-party collaborators."
Policy details
User consent and potential revenue stream
The updated policy reads: "Depending on your settings, or if you decide to share your data, we may share or disclose your information with third parties."
However, it is still unclear how users can opt out of this data sharing as the policy only mentions the settings menu without any specific instructions.
This move by X could create a new income source for the platform by licensing its data to other firms.
Terms update
X introduces stricter penalties for data scraping
Along with the privacy policy changes, X is also updating its terms of service to impose stricter penalties on those found "scraping" large volumes of tweets.
The company has added a section called "liquidated damages," under which anyone viewing or accessing over a million posts per day will be charged a $15,000 penalty.
This is part of X's efforts to protect user data and system resources from unauthorized access.
Owner's perspective
Musk's stance on data scraping
Notably, X owner Elon Musk has previously spoken against "scraping."
To deter scrapers, the company temporarily prevented people from viewing tweets while logged out last year.
X also moved its API behind a paywall, severely limiting researchers' ability to study platform activity.
These measures highlight Musk's commitment to safeguarding user data and maintaining platform integrity.