Elon Musk's X poses serious privacy risk, advocates warn FTC

Advocates have urged the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to maintain close oversight of Elon Musk's X platform and reject its request to end ongoing audits of the platform's data handling. The warnings come ahead of a July 2 deadline for public comments, as concerns grow over user privacy.

X had previously argued that the FTC's oversight was no longer necessary due to changes implemented by Musk. The FTC's initial order stemmed from a finding that the platform, then known as Twitter, had improperly shared users' contact information for ad targeting, which had been submitted for two-factor authentication.

Under the existing order, X is subject to costly independent audits, and the FTC has the authority to demand documents to ensure compliance with data privacy laws without further legal action. Advocates contend these measures remain essential to protect user data.

This situation highlights broader concerns within the technology sector regarding data collection and privacy. The FTC's decision is expected to shape future regulatory approaches to social media data practices.