X (formerly Twitter) has released an update to their Terms of Service in anticipation of their upcoming change to how Blocks will work on the site.

Going forward, blocked users will be able to view public posts of accounts that have blocked them. However the blocking user will still be able to ignore the blocked users posts and not see them on their feed.

But there’s more in the new Terms of Service, with some artists pointing out that there’s a very length paragraph describing what rights X and “other companies” may use with content posted on the site, up to and including being used to train machine learning (colloquially referred to as AI):

By submitting, posting or displaying Content on or through the Services, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license (with the right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display, upload, download, and distribute such Content in any and all media or distribution methods now known or later developed, for any purpose. For clarity, these rights include, for example, curating, transforming, and translating. This license authorizes us to make your Content available to the rest of the world and to let others do the same. You agree that this license includes the right for us to (i) analyze text and other information you provide and to otherwise provide, promote, and improve the Services, including, for example, for use with and training of our machine learning and artificial intelligence models, whether generative or another type; and (ii) to make Content submitted to or through the Services available to other companies, organizations or individuals, including, for example, for improving the Services and the syndication, broadcast, distribution, repost, promotion or publication of such Content on other media and services, subject to our terms and conditions for such Content use. Such additional uses by us, or other companies, organizations or individuals, is made with no compensation paid to you with respect to the Content that you submit, post, transmit or otherwise make available through the Services as the use of the Services by you is hereby agreed as being sufficient compensation for the Content and grant of rights herein.

Emphasis: Ours

Entrepreneur Elon Musk acquired Twitter in 2022 and rebranded the site as “X”. Since then, Musk has made changes to how the site operate including hiding likes and other interactions, as well as introducing a new AI called Grok.

The changes to Blocking functionality is the latest change Musk is making to the site. Some users fear that the change will see X removed from Google Playstore and the App Store, as the ability to block users is a requirement for apps featuring User Generated Content.

At the time of writing, users are still able to opt out of Grok training via X settings. However the new Terms of Service doesn’t go live until November 15 and things may change.

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