EU opens probe into Elon Musk’s X over Grok sexual deepfake images

European Union regulators on Monday opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk-owned social media platform X after its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok was found generating non-consensual sexualised deepfake images, according to a report by the Associated Press.

The move by regulators in Brussels follows a global backlash triggered by Grok’s AI image generation and editing tools, which allowed users to digitally undress individuals, depict women in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing, and alter images in sexualised ways. Researchers said some of the generated images appeared to include children, prompting several governments to ban the service or issue public warnings.

The European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation bloc, stated that it is examining whether X has taken sufficient steps under EU digital regulations to mitigate the risks of spreading illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit images. The Commission added that this includes material that may amount to child sexual abuse content.

According to the Commission, these risks have now materialised, exposing European citizens to serious harm. Regulators will assess whether Grok complies with the platform’s obligations under the Digital Services Act, the EU’s broad framework aimed at protecting users from harmful online content and products.

In response to a request for comment, an X spokesperson directed the Associated Press to an earlier company statement, which said the platform remains committed to making X a safe space for all users and has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity and unwanted sexual content.

In the January 14 statement, X also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in bikinis, underwear or other revealing clothing, but only in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.

European Commission executive vice-president Henna Virkkunen stated that non-consensual sexual deepfakes involving women and children represent a violent and unacceptable form of degradation. She added that the investigation would determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the Digital Services Act or whether the rights of European citizens, including women and children, were treated as collateral damage by the service. Virkkunen oversees technology sovereignty, security and democracy within the Commission.

The Commission also informed on Monday that it is extending a separate, ongoing investigation into X over its broader compliance with the Digital Services Act. That probe, which began in 2023, has already resulted in a €120 million fine imposed in December for breaches of transparency requirements.