Key Points
- SpaceX updated Starlink’s privacy policy to allow AI training on user data. Customers must actively opt out if they do not want their data used.
- The move comes amid reports of a potential merger between SpaceX and xAI.
- Collected info includes location, contacts, and potentially audio or visual communication data.
- Privacy experts warn that the new rules lack clear limits on data usage.
SpaceX has quietly changed the privacy policy for its Starlink internet service, opening the door for customer data to be used in artificial intelligence training. The update, which appeared on the website on January 15, states that unless users actively opt out, their data can be used “to train our machine learning or artificial intelligence models.”
This shift comes at a critical time for Elon Musk’s business empire. Recent reports suggest that SpaceX is in talks to merge with xAI, Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, ahead of a massive initial public offering (IPO) expected later this year. If the deal goes through, it would connect the world’s most valuable private company with a rapidly growing AI challenger.
The new policy allows SpaceX to share data with “third-party collaborators,” though it doesn’t specify who those partners are. Previous versions of the document did not mention AI training at all. For a company like xAI, which powers the Grok chatbot, access to Starlink’s data could be a goldmine. Starlink currently serves over 9 million users via a network of 9,000 satellites.
The type of data involved is extensive. Beyond standard billing info and IP addresses, the policy mentions “communication data,” which can include audio, visuals, and shared files. It also notes that the company might use inferences drawn from other personal information.
Privacy advocates are raising concerns about the lack of boundaries. Anupam Chander, a technology law professor at Georgetown University, said the update “raises my eyebrow.” He warned that while companies often use data to improve their own services, using personal information to train general AI models creates new risks for surveillance and misuse without clear limits.
SpaceX has not publicly commented on the change. However, the move signals that Musk is looking to leverage every part of his portfolio—from rockets to internet service—to fuel his ambitions in the AI race.
