Canada Investigates X Over AI Data Privacy Concerns

Canada’s privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into X, the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk, over its use of Canadians’ personal data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models.

In a statement on Thursday, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada confirmed that the probe was initiated following a complaint.

“The investigation will focus on the platform’s compliance with federal privacy law regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of Canadians’ personal information for AI model training,” the statement read.

No further details were provided about the nature of the complaint. However, opposition New Democratic Party MP Brian Masse revealed he had written to the commissioner earlier in the week, urging an inquiry into X’s data practices.

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“I’m pleased the privacy commissioner has agreed to investigate X’s use of Canadians’ data,” Masse said. “Transparency is essential, especially when algorithms can be manipulated to spread misinformation.”

The probe comes amid heightened tensions between Canada and the United States over trade, border security, and a proposed digital services tax targeting U.S. tech firms.

Meanwhile, Musk, who also leads Tesla and AI startup xAI, has integrated xAI’s chatbot, Grok, into X since acquiring the platform in 2022. The latest version, Grok-3, was recently launched for Premium+ subscribers.

Canada’s privacy laws set strict guidelines for how private-sector organisations collect, use, and disclose personal data, including consent, retention, and security measures.