X, the new Twitter identity is currently sandwiched in a political storm of drama and controversies. For sure, the new update, which will take effect on Friday, Nov. 15 will have a lasting impact on its users with regards to its Terms of Service (ToS).
Elon Musk's company now enjoys some sweeping new rights, drawing an issue from users relating to data privacy and free speech and, in turn, potentially forcing them to litigate.
New ToS: Feeding Grok and Stripping Opt-Out Rights
Under the new ToS, the AI bot Musk created, Grok, is now legally enabled to enter any user content—for the purpose of AI training-including tweets, photos, and videos. According to Mashable, users were once given the option to opt out of such a sharing arrangement.
The new policy says nothing about this possible opt-out, leaving users unsure whether locking their accounts or opting out would have any legal effect at all.
The critics argue that this policy damages personal privacy and destroys trust. Even the blocked content is channeled into Grok, raising ethical questions over the exploitation of user-generated content.
Read Also: Patreon's New Gift Memberships: Creators Can Now Boost Fanbase With Freebies!
$15,000 Fine for Improper Access
A more drastic policy change involves the implementation of a penalty of $15,000 on accounts accessing more than one million tweets daily. For the casual user, this limit might not matter much, but if it came down to researchers or organizations that would like to monitor hate speech or the circulation of misinformation within the platform, it would prove to be such a huge blockade.
Advocacy groups including the Knight Institute for the First Amendment warn that this could silence very important social research and restrict free speech monitoring.
The Texas Legal Trap
There is no option to opt out of these modifications. The New ToS insists on filing any dispute in court solely within a rural Texas jurisdiction. This jurisdiction has for its history made decisions that were quite favorable to Musk in his case of dropped investment, which raises serious questions of fairness and impartiality.
Parting Ways With X: Should You Stay or Go?
There are limited choices for users who do not want their data to fund Grok. The most clear-cut is account deletion; however, this comes with a steep cost. When a Twitter/X account is deleted, years of content, memories, and digital relationships will be erased.
Those who are still considering an exit can, at least, take an archive of tweets that will ensure content will be saved. There are accounts of delays in the preparation of archives, and it may leave users without an escape by Nov. 15.
Many influential users have already bid adieu to the service. Jaime Lee Curtis had her deactivate her account and posted about it on Instagram. The Guardian also declared it would stop publishing due to the changes in the ToS in the platform.
For those who want a peaceful X alternative, you can try BlueSky where 700,000 users went after the US election.
A Torn Future for Twitter/X
The November 15 deadline is up and running now, and critics are hammering the policies of Twitter/X. This is a development that some have accepted and continue to post daily on the platform. Others believe this is another step in Musk's increased authoritarian control over the platform.
Ultimately, individual priorities will dictate staying or leaving, but one thing is sure: the regime under Musk is currently transforming Twitter/X into a place of unexampled and polarizing division.
Related Article: X Block Feature Revamp Is Here, Controversially Allowing Blocked Users to See Public Posts
