Security Bite: X quietly adds option to keep its third-rate AI product Grok from scraping your posts and interactions

Heads up! Elon Musk’s social platform X (formerly Twitter) has quietly added an opt-out toggle to keep its AI chatbot Grok from data scraping your posts, as well as any interactions you have with it. The setting to allow data for training is enabled by default and buried only within the web version of X. Here’s how to find it…

9to5Mac Security Bite is exclusively brought to you by Mosyle, the only Apple Unified Platform. Making Apple devices work-ready and enterprise-safe is all we do. Our unique integrated approach to management and security combines state-of-the-art Apple-specific security solutions for fully automated Hardening & Compliance, Next Generation EDR, AI-powered Zero Trust, and exclusive Privilege Management with the most powerful and modern Apple MDM on the market. The result is a totally automated Apple Unified Platform currently trusted by over 45,000 organizations to make millions of Apple devices work-ready with no effort and at an affordable cost. Request your EXTENDED TRIAL today and understand why Mosyle is everything you need to work with Apple.

In a series of viral X posts on Friday, users began to notice that the platform added a new “Data sharing” toggle within settings that explains any posts made on the platform, as well as interactions, inputs, and results with Grok are used for “training and fine-tuning.”

Grok has been using posts from the platform to train its models since at least May 2024. Initially, the generative AI chatbot was pre-trained on open-source text from the Internet, not on X data. However, in recent months it has since started using public posts and interactions for further training. X claims that Grok’s access to real-time public X posts allows the chatbot to respond to user queries with up-to-date information and insights on a broader range of topics.

Additionally, X states:

This also means that when you interact with Grok, your interactions, inputs and results may be used to train and enhance the system’s performance. This allows us to:

• Improve Grok’s ability to provide accurate, relevant, and engaging responses.
• Enhance Grok’s understanding of human language and communication.
• Develop Grok’s sense of humor and wit to make interactions more enjoyable.
• Ensure Grok remains politically unbiased and provides balanced answers.

Now an option has finally been added to opt-out of this. Read more for how to toggle this off.

About Security Bite: Security Bite is a security-focused column on 9to5Mac. Every week, Arin Waichulis sheds light on the latest in data privacy, vulnerabilities, or emerging threats within Apple’s vast ecosystem of over 2 billion active devices.

It’s unclear why exactly the option was added just now. If I had to guess, X was likely presented with legal notices that called for more control or consent over data used by Grok, or just the platform as a whole.

This story reminds me of Meta’s new privacy policy that went into effect last month that allows the company to use any posts or interactions with chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, or WhatsApp for training of its AI models. However, unlike Meta, it’s nice to see X actually add a reliable way for users to say “no.”

How to opt-out

Currently, you can opt out of Grok scraping your posts only on the web version of X. The option does not exist in the mobile app. If you’re unable to access the opt-out quick link here, follow the steps below:

• On X web select “Privacy & Safety”
• Under “Data sharing and personalization,” select “Grok”
• Toggle off the option “Allow your posts as well as your interactions, inputs, and results with Grok to be used for training and fine-tuning.”

More: X reveals security incident that made your ‘private’ likes public

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.