X is updating its privacy policy with new language that allows it to provide users’ data to third-party “collaborators” in order to train AI models. The new policy, which takes effect November 15, 2024, would seem to open the door to Reddit-like arrangements in which outside companies can pay to license data from X.
The updated policy shared by X includes a new section titled “third-party collaborators.”
While the policy mentions the ability to opt out, it’s not clear how users would actually do so. As TechCrunch notes, the policy points to users’ settings menu, but there’ doesn’t appear to be an control for opting out of data sharing. The policy doesn’t go into effect until next month, though, so there’s still a chance that could change. X didn’t respond to a request for comment.
If X were to begin licensing its data to other companies, it could open up a significant new revenue stream for the social media company, which has seen waning interest from major advertisers.
In addition to the privacy policy, X is also updating its terms of service with stricter penalties for entities that are caught “scraping” large numbers of tweets. In a section titled “liquidated damages” the company states anyone viewing or accessing more than a million posts a day will be subject to a penalty of $15,000. X owner Elon Musk has previously railed against “scraping.” Last year, the company temporarily blocked people from viewing tweets while logged out, in a move Musk attributed to fending off scrapers. He also moved X’s API behind a paywall, which has drastically hindered researchers’ ability to study what’s happening on the platform. He’s also used allegations of “scraping” to justify lawsuits against organizations that have attempted to study hate speech and other issues on the platform.