Canada Investigates Elon Musk’s X Over AI Data Privacy Concerns

Canada’s privacy watchdog has launched an investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over its use of Canadians’ personal data to train artificial intelligence (AI) models. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada announced the probe after receiving a complaint, aiming to determine whether X violated federal privacy laws regarding data collection, usage, and disclosure.

The watchdog did not disclose specifics about the complaint. However, New Democratic Party lawmaker Brian Masse had recently urged the commissioner to investigate X’s data practices. Masse emphasized the importance of transparency, warning that AI-driven algorithms could be manipulated to spread misinformation.

X, formerly Twitter, has yet to respond to requests for comment. The investigation follows increasing tensions between Canada and the U.S. over trade policies, border security, and a proposed digital services tax on American tech firms. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, citing concerns over drug trafficking.

Musk, who also leads Tesla and AI startup xAI, has integrated AI technology into X. His company recently introduced Grok-3, an advanced chatbot available to Premium+ users. Generative AI models like Grok rely on vast datasets for training, raising privacy concerns about data sourcing and user consent.

Under Canada’s privacy laws, companies must obtain consent before collecting and using personal data. The investigation will assess whether X adhered to these regulations, including data retention and security measures. As AI advances, governments worldwide are tightening oversight on tech giants handling user information.