's data protection agency has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X to check whether its use personal data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models violates privacy rules.
The investigation was launched after a complaint, although it did not provide details about its content. “The investigation will focus on the platform’s compliance with federal privacy laws in relation to the collection, use and disclosure of Canadians’ personal information for training artificial intelligence models,” the regulator said.
New Democratic Party MP Brian Massesaid he had also asked the data protection commissioner to launch an investigation into X.
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“I am pleased to see the privacy commissioner agree to launch an investigation into X’s use of Canadians’ data,” Masse said. “Transparency is crucial in an era when algorithms could be used to spread misinformation,” he added.
The X investigation comes at a time of heightened tension between Canada and the United States. President Donald Trump pledged earlier Thursday to implement proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods starting March 4.
X: Use of user personal data for AI training
Elon Musk, in addition to owning X, is also the owner of the artificial intelligence company xAI. This company has created an AI chatbot called Grok. It is an AI assistant that allows users to easily complete various tasks (e.g. answering questions, solving problems, etc.).
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Last week, xAI introduced Grok-3, the latest version of the chatbot, which is available immediately to Premium+ subscribers on X. Generative AI tools, like Grok, require a lot of data for training and development.
Canada's privacy legislation has specific rules for how private sector organizations can collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of their operations.
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This law requires businesses to obtain consent from individuals before collecting, using or disclosing their personal data. Canadian citizens also have the right to know what personal data is being collected from them and for what purpose.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
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