Y0ur P@ssw0rd S*cks is a bi-weekly column that answers the most pressing internet security questions web_crawlr readers have to make sure they can navigate the ‘net safely. If you want to get this column a day before we publish it, subscribe to web_crawlr, where you’ll get the daily scoop of internet culture delivered straight to your inbox.
X, the social media platform we all wish was still called Twitter, is using your data to train its AI.
If you weren’t aware, you’re not alone.
The social media platform, which as we all know is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, recently opted everyone into a new feature that uses their data to aid in the development of Grok. Users were never notified of the change nor asked to give their consent.
In the age of mass data collection, having yet another entity siphoning up your information is not ideal. You don’t know how exactly your data will be used. You don’t know if that data will be sold to a 3rd party or even taken in a data breach. And with AI being such a new technology, it remains unclear what possible security and privacy issues may arise in the future.
If you recall, Grok is Musk’s “anti-woke” AI chatbot developed by his company xAI. Musk has offered X’s paying user access to Grok in an attempt to compete with the likes of ChatGPT.
Thankfully, if you aren’t a fan of having your comments, likes, and posts handed over to Grok, there is a way to opt out. Your Password Sucks will show you how.
How to stop X from using your data to train Grok
X didn’t make it easy to opt out of having your data fed to Grok.
For starters, you cannot disable this feature from the mobile app. The only option is to pull out your trusty laptop or desktop and open your preferred web browser.
Once you’ve logged into X:
- You’ll want to select the More option from the menu on the left side of your screen. From there, you’ll want to click settings and privacy.
- Next, choose the Privacy and safety option. From there, under the Data sharing and personalization section, you’ll click Grok. You can also click here to be taken directly to the Grok menu.
- You should see a single entry that states, “Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning.” You want this box unchecked. So if it’s checked, uncheck it.
That’s it! But as a bonus, right below that, you can also click Delete conversation history. This will wipe any data X has already obtained from you to train Grok.
Now you have at least one less thing to worry about.
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