The European Union took decisive action on Monday by initiating a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X. This move followed alarming reports that Grok, X’s integrated artificial intelligence chatbot, was distributing digitally altered sexualized images of individuals without their consent. The content in question includes depictions featuring women in revealing attire such as transparent bikinis, with some images suspected of involving minors, raising serious concerns among regulators and prompting some governments to restrict or warn against the service.
In parallel, the EU has broadened a separate investigation focused on X’s recommendation algorithms. This expansion comes after X announced its decision to replace existing recommendation mechanisms with the Grok AI system, thereby potentially influencing the content visible to millions of users through an AI-driven model.
The European Commission, representing the 27-member bloc, emphasized that the investigation will determine whether X has fulfilled its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). This regulation mandates that large online platforms take adequate measures to prevent the spread of illegal content, including “digitally manipulated sexually explicit images.” The commission explicitly noted that some of the content might amount to child sexual abuse material, a grave violation posing significant risk to EU citizens.
EU officials intend to scrutinize how effectively Grok’s AI content generation tools handle user requests, particularly in light of reports indicating that Grok enabled users to create or modify images involving real people in sexually suggestive contexts without consent. The growing controversy intensified late last month when Grok reportedly processed numerous requests to alter existing images, amplifying visibility due to the public nature of X’s platform and the minimal content safeguards reportedly offered by Musk’s chatbot.
Responding to inquiries, X released a statement reiterating its commitment to maintaining a safe environment within its platform and asserting a zero-tolerance policy toward child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwelcome sexual content. The statement, issued on January 14, also announced restrictions against generating images of individuals in bikinis, lingerie, or other revealing clothing where such depictions are illegal.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission overseeing technological sovereignty, security, and democracy, condemned non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children as violent forms of degradation. She affirmed that the investigation seeks to verify whether X has upheld its legal responsibilities under the DSA, or whether European citizens' rights have been imperiled as collateral consequences of the platform’s service.
The AI specialist company founded by Elon Musk, xAI, launched Grok’s image manipulation features last summer. However, the problematic content trends became notably pronounced toward the end of last month, significantly fueled by Grok’s positioning as a cutting-edge AI with reportedly fewer restrictions compared to competitors, and by its public-facing, easily shareable AI-generated results.
The ongoing European investigation is currently limited to Grok’s integration within the X platform and does not extend to the standalone Grok website or mobile application, reflecting that the DSA's scope applies predominantly to larger online platforms. There is no set timeline for resolving the inquiry, which could lead to binding commitments from X to modify its operations or the imposition of substantial fines.
Previously, in December, EU regulators penalized X with a 120 million euro fine related to the broader DSA investigation, citing misleading design features such as blue verification badges that increased user vulnerability to scams and manipulation.
Additional scrutiny has been directed toward X following allegations that Grok facilitated the generation of antisemitic material, with regulators requesting further information from the company.
International reactions include Malaysia and Indonesia blocking access to Grok earlier this month in response to the controversies—the first nations to do so. Malaysia lifted its temporary ban last Friday after X reportedly implemented enhanced safety and prevention protocols, although detailed disclosures were not provided. Malaysian regulators remain engaged with X via recent meetings and continue monitoring developments closely.
These events and investigations place significant pressure on X and its associated technologies to navigate complex regulatory landscapes while addressing public safety and ethical concerns in AI content generation.