Social Media Shenanigans: X’s Latest Data Uproar!
Stop the clock! Social media platform X, which you might remember as Twitter (or “tweeting your opinions into the void”), has decided to shake things up with a thrilling new chapter in its terms and conditions. Yes, folks, hold onto your hashtags — they’re now authorizing the sale of your precious user data to third parties. Why, you ask? Well, apparently, it’s all for the greater good of training their snazzy artificial intelligence models. Because who doesn’t want their life data used to teach a robot how to make cat videos?
Mark your calendars for November 15, 2024, because that’s when these changes kick in. And they’re defaulting this delightful new feature for all users — fantastic! It’s like getting a surprise gift in the post, only to find out it’s a subscription to a magazine you never wanted. The new privacy policy states:
“If you do not opt-out, recipients of the information may in some cases use it for their own independent purposes, including, for example, to train their artificial intelligence models, in addition to the purposes specified in the privacy policy of X.”
Ah, the ‘opt-out’ option. You know, that classic “if you don’t want it, you’ll have to work hard and search for it” kind of deal. Reminds me of trying to find the last slice of pizza at a party — you know it’s there, but good luck getting to it before somebody else dives in!
“We’re Watching You!” – A Rather Familiar Tune
X (formerly Twitter, still a confusion at dinners) has been under more scrutiny than my eating habits on the latest diet. The EU Commission had a word with them recently slapping them on the wrist for having a little too much fun with user data — or should I say, mishandling it? This date change likely won’t help their reputation much, especially when we’re still covering the fallout from their “illegal micro-targeting for political advertising” escapade. If you thought politicians were sneaky, wait until you see how your data is snatched up faster than your neighbor’s cat at a BBQ!
Opt-Out? It’s Like Finding Waldo!
So, if you’re knee-deep in the wild world of social media and suddenly feel that tingle of dread about your data being a commodity, fear not! You can (in theory) opt-out. The catch? You’ve got to actually know it’s happening. Kind of like the surprise party that nobody tells you about until you’re standing in the middle of the living room asking, “Why is everyone looking at me?” As of now, X hasn’t even pointed users towards where this magical opt-out button will be hiding. Game on!
Data Collectors Beware: X Means Business!
But wait, there’s more! X is introducing harsher penalties for those pesky data collectors. If you’re thinking about wilfully leeching loads of data from the platform, consider this your official warning: a fine of $15,000 for viewing a million messages in 24 hours? Ouch! And it just gets meatier from there; another million messages equals another $15k fine. Makes me wonder how many overzealous social media detectives we’ll see in the coming months; it’s like playing a game of “how many times can I hit refresh before I go bankrupt.”
So, as we gear up for these changes, one thing is clear: privacy on social media platforms is as mythical as a unicorn trying to log in to its Facebook account. Stay savvy, folks! At the end of the day, remember: if it’s free, you are the product. And your data? Well, that’s just the cherry on top.
Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has revised its terms and conditions (T&Cs) in order to authorize the transmission of customer data to third parties (CGU) in order to allow the transmission of customer data to third parties. This means that X can sell user data to companies who, in turn, can use it for their own purposes, for example to train their artificial intelligence models.
These T&C changes will take effect on November 15, 2024 and will initially be enabled by default for all users. The new privacy policy states the following:
“If you do not opt out, recipients of the information may in some cases use it for their own independent purposes, including, for example, to train their artificial intelligence models, in addition to the purposes specified in the privacy policy of X.”
X has been criticized for its handling of user data for some time. In 2023, the company, now owned by Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk, was reprimanded by the EU Commission for violations of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the law on digital services (LSN). The case concerned
illegal microtargeting for political advertising purposes for political advertising purposes. The latest changes to the general conditions are likely to fuel the debate on the protection of user data.
Withdrawal option available, but not by default
Users have the possibility to object to the transmission of their data. However, they must do so actively, which requires that X users are aware that their data is being transmitted. Although there are still a few days until October 15, X has not yet revealed where the opt-out option will be available.
New sanctions for external data collectors
In addition to the changes to the data protection policy, X is also implementing stricter measures against external data collectors. The new T&Cs include stiff fines for using automated tools that extract masses of data from the social media platform. If an account is caught viewing one million messages in the space of 24 hours, they will be fined US$15,000 – and the same amount for each additional million.
