Important changes to X's terms of service are coming.
If you don't want Elon Musk to use your tweets for his artificial intelligence, it might be time to leave the app formerly known as Twitter.
Recently, a notable increase has been observed in the number of high-profile accounts leaving Twitter, now known as X. This exodus is not solely related to the elections; it is also a response to the implementation of a new Terms of Service (ToS) policy, which will come into effect on November 15. Although the company has made no statements regarding this, the new document grants owner Elon Musk the right to use users’ tweets, photos, and videos to train his artificial intelligence, called Grok.
While there is a possibility for users to opt out of Grok's training, this may not be legally significant. The new document does not mention an opt-out option, and it seems there are no differences if the account is locked; under these new terms, Grok will be able to access any content regardless of the account status.
Furthermore, the use of the platform will no longer be free in terms of freedom of expression, as users could face damages of up to $15,000 if their account accesses more than one million tweets per day, a threshold that many researchers could reach while monitoring hate speech on X. The Knight Institute for the First Amendment at Columbia University has described this move as "disturbing" for a supposed defender of free speech.
If any user wishes to oppose the new terms, their only legal option would be to take on mogul Musk in a court located in a rural area of Texas, where he has already received favorable rulings. For those who do not want Musk to use their content to train his artificial intelligence, the only viable option seems to be deleting their account, a drastic decision considering the amount of tweets accumulated.
Those who decide to remain on the platform may do so to protect their identity and prevent someone else from taking control of their account. However, with the removal of features such as the option to block users, many are considering adjusting their profile privacy settings.
Various public figures have expressed their discontent regarding this situation. For instance, Jaime Lee Curtis shared her account deactivation on Instagram along with a serenity prayer, while Don Lemon stated his reason for leaving was the change in the Terms of Service. In a similar move, the Center for Combatting Digital Hate decided to delete its account after expressing its last tweets.
In summary, the situation on X is becoming increasingly complicated under Musk's administration, and each user will need to evaluate their own path on this altered platform.
