Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has initiated an official inquiry into the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) over concerns regarding the use of personal data from European Union users to train its artificial intelligence system, Grok.
As the primary EU data watchdog for X—due to the company’s regional headquarters being based in Ireland—the DPC has the authority to enforce the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including levying fines of up to 4% of a company’s global turnover.
The investigation centers on whether X is processing publicly accessible posts made by users within the EU and European Economic Area to develop generative AI technologies. In its official statement, the DPC noted it would examine the legality of using this data for AI training purposes.
The move comes amid ongoing tensions between U.S. officials and the European Union regarding the regulation of American tech firms. Former U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration have criticized EU actions, characterizing hefty fines on U.S. corporations as disguised forms of taxation.
X’s owner, Elon Musk, a close Trump ally and vocal opponent of EU regulations—especially those targeting online content—has frequently expressed frustration over regulatory interventions from Brussels.
This latest investigation follows a legal case from last year, during which the DPC sought to prevent X from using EU user data for AI development without prior consent. That case concluded when X agreed to halt such data processing practices permanently. As a result, the court proceedings were dropped.
The Irish DPC has previously penalized major tech firms such as Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok since gaining sanctioning powers in 2018. Meta alone has faced nearly €3 billion in fines. X has not received any penalties since a €450,000 fine in 2020, which marked the platform’s first GDPR-related sanction.
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