Elon Musk’s X Faces Privacy and Safety Backlash from Advocates

Elon Musk’s X platform is under fire for serious privacy risks. Advocates demand the Federal Trade Commission keep strict oversight. They want the FTC to reject X’s bid to end audits of its data handling.

The FTC opened a consultation on June 3, 2026, after X argued that previous orders were obsolete. These orders stem from a 2011 FTC penalty against Twitter over a coding error that exposed user contact info. The penalty requires expensive independent audits and document demands to enforce data privacy laws.

X claims the order is burdensome. The company argues it’s redundant due to new EU GDPR rules and its rebranding since Musk took control. Fifteen privacy and consumer groups fired back with a letter calling X’s petition illegal and a risk to American privacy.

The letter said, “X Corp.’s petition fails to clear the demanding legal standard necessary to grant the extraordinary action the corporation is requesting.” Advocates warn the platform’s reckless data practices could jeopardize user security and privacy nationwide.

Musk’s 2022 acquisition triggered massive layoffs—about 80% of trust and safety staff were cut. Andre Oboler, an online hate expert, testified these cuts raised serious concerns about X’s data handling. Advocates say this should prompt stricter FTC monitoring.

Privacy Violations and AI Risks

X faces allegations tied to its AI chatbot, Grok. Three girls sued X, accusing the chatbot of generating child sex abuse material and non-consensual images. The platform admitted in a 2026 Australian Federal Court hearing it violated a child protection request. This admission spotlights a major safety failure.

The case underscores tension between rapid tech growth and child safety regulations. X’s operation spans billions of users and vast data volumes, complicating compliance. The hearing has global importance for platform accountability when safety alerts go unheeded.

Last year, 2.8 billion records leaked from X. Advocates reveal Musk directed employees to take actions violating FTC orders and allowed journalists access to internal data. Meanwhile, X harvested hundreds of millions of posts to train Grok’s AI without explicit user consent.

Cambridge Analytica drew parallels between Musk’s AI training and their own notorious data scandal. They say X’s approach industrializes surveillance capitalism. The AI extracts behavioral data, builds prediction models, and sells persuasion tools, replacing Facebook’s ad model.

Shockingly, 73% of X users didn’t know their tweets trained Grok. Deleting posts doesn’t erase data signals. The AI can still target users based on removed content. This deepens privacy concerns and shows how data control remains elusive.

In sum, Musk’s X faces a multifaceted crisis—privacy breaches, AI misuse, safety violations, and regulatory defiance. Advocates demand the FTC hold the company accountable. The stakes are high for American users and global digital privacy standards.