In a recent policy update, social media platform X has revised its developer agreement to prohibit the use of its content and API data for training large language models (LLMs). The new clause, added under the section detailing usage restrictions, clearly states that developers are not permitted to use X’s data to “fine-tune or train a foundation or frontier model.”
This move follows the acquisition of X by Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, earlier this year. Given the ownership change, the platform’s content is now more strategically guarded, likely to protect its value from being freely accessed by rival AI firms for model development.
Previously, X had modified its privacy policy in 2023 to allow public content on the platform to be used for AI training including by third parties. However, this latest revision marks a sharp shift, placing clear boundaries on how external developers can use the platform’s data.
X is not alone in tightening control over its digital content. Other tech companies, including Reddit, have implemented measures to restrict AI crawlers. In a similar move, a browser company recently updated the terms of its AI-powered browser to prevent its content from being exploited for training external AI models.
With the growing demand for high-quality training data, more platforms are likely to adopt similar restrictions to protect their content and leverage it for their own AI initiatives.
