EU launches formal investigation into Grok over sexualized deepfakes and child abuse material

EU launches formal investigation of xAI over Grok's sexualized deepfakes

The EU has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's xAI following a public outcry over how its Grok chatbot spread sexualized images of women and children. The billionaire entrepreneur has come under scrutiny from regulators around the world this month after people began using Grok to generate deepfakes of people without consent. The images were posted on the X social network as well as the separate Grok app, both of which are run by xAI. The probe, announced on Monday under the EU's Digital Services Act, will assess if xAI tried to mitigate the risks of deploying Grok's tools on X and the proliferation of content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material." "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," the EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen said. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service." If the company is found to be in breach of the rules, the bloc can impose fines worth up to 6 percent of the worldwide annual turnover. An EU official said there will be no interim measures during the investigation. The European probe comes after UK media regulator Ofcom opened a formal investigation into Grok, while Malaysia and Indonesia have banned the chatbot altogether. Following the backlash, xAI restricted the use of Grok to paying subscribers and said it has "implemented technological measures" to limit Grok from generating certain sexualized images. Musk has also said "anyone using Grok to make illegal content will suffer the same consequences as if they upload illegal content." An EU official said that "with the harm that is exposed to individuals that are subject to these images, we have not been convinced so far by what mitigating measures the platform has taken to have that under control." The company, which acquired Musk's social media site X last year, has designed its AI products to have fewer content "guardrails" than competitors such as OpenAI and Google. Musk called its Grok model "maximally truth-seeking." The commission fined X €120 million in December last year for breaching its regulations for transparency, providing insufficient access to data and the deceptive design of its blue ticks for verified accounts. The fine was criticised by Musk and the US government, with the Trump administration claiming the EU was unfairly targeting American groups and infringing freedom of speech principles championed by the Maga movement. X did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

X faces EU investigation over Grok's sexualized deepfakes

X is facing an investigation from the European Commission over the sexualized deepfakes generated by its Grok AI chatbot. In its announcement, the Commission says it will evaluate whether X "properly assessed and mitigated risks" associated with Grok's image-generating capabilities in the EU, as reported earlier by The New York Times. Advocacy groups and lawmakers from around the world have raised the alarm on Grok's AI image editing feature after it began complying with requests to generate sexualized images of women and minors on the platform. X later paywalled the ability to edit images in public replies to posts, but everyone can still generate images using Grok's chatbot interface inside X. The EU Commission will evaluate whether X violated the Digital Services Act, a set of rules that hold large online platforms legally accountable for the content posted to them. It's also extending a broader 2023 investigation into X, which will now examine the platform's Grok-powered recommendation system (The EU already fined X $140 million over "deceptive" blue checkmarks in connection with this probe). "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, says in the press release. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." X could face fines of up to 6 percent of its annual global revenue if it's once again found in violation of the DSA.

EU launches investigation into X over Grok-generated sexual images

The European Commission announced today that it has launched formal proceedings under the Digital Services Act to investigate whether X properly assessed risks before deploying its Grok artificial intelligence tool, following its use to generate sexually explicit images. The commission noted that these potential risks "seem to have materialised," seeing that the AI-powered tool was used to create "manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material." "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," said EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." UK authorities are also scrutinizing the platform after the Grok AI chatbot account on X was used to generate undressed images of X users and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Following the widespread reports raising concerns about Grok-generated content, the Information Commissioner's Office contacted X and xAI on January 7 for more details on the measures taken to comply with data protection law, while Ofcom (the UK's independent online safety watchdog) launched its own investigation on January 12. Days later, after California Attorney General Rob Bonta opened another investigation into the nonconsensual sexually explicit material generated using Grok, X announced that it would limit Grok's image generation and editing capabilities to paid subscribers. X's move was later described by a UK Prime Minister's spokesperson as "insulting to victims of misogyny and sexual violence" because it turned the Grok "AI feature that allows the creation of unlawful images into a premium service." Since it was designated a very large online platform under EU law (following its announcement that it had reached over 45 million monthly active users in the European Union), X must now mitigate all potential systemic risks as defined in the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), including the spread of illegal content and threats to fundamental rights. The European Commission also fined X €120 million ($140 million) in December for violations of transparency obligations and transparency requirements under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

EU opens investigation into X over Grok sexualised imagery, lawmaker says

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok over the production of explicit imagery, Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, said in a statement on Monday. The investigation will assess whether X has complied with its obligations under EU digital legislation, including requirements relating to risk mitigation, content governance, and the protection of fundamental rights, the lawmaker said. A Commission spokesperson did not immediately respond when asked to confirm if an investigation had been opened. X did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Monday. "This case raises very serious questions about whether platforms are meeting their legal obligations to assess risks properly and to prevent illegal and harmful content from spreading," Doherty said in an emailed statement. The Commission earlier this month said the AI-generated images of undressed women and children being shared across Elon Musk's social media site X were unlawful and appalling, joining a chorus of condemnation across the world. Doherty said the images had exposed wider weaknesses in how emerging AI technologies are regulated and enforced. "The European Union has clear rules to protect people online. Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale. No company operating in the EU is above the law," she added. Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by William James and Alexander Smith Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

European Union opens investigation into Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes

BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union regulators on Monday opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rulebook for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it's illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice-president at the commission. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. The Commission also said Monday that it's extending a separate investigation into X over whether the platform has been following the DSA's requirements. That probe opened in 2023 and is still ongoing. It has so far resulted in a 120 million euro (then-$140 million) fine in December for breaches of the transparency requirements.

EU investigates Elon Musk's X over Grok AI sexual deepfakes

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns its AI tool Grok was used to create sexualised images of real people. It follows a similar announcement in January from the UK watchdog Ofcom. Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, said the Commission would assess whether "manipulated sexually explicit images" have been shown to users in the EU. A previous statement from X's Safety account said the social media platform had stopped Grok from digitally altering pictures of people to remove their clothing in "jurisdictions where such content is illegal". But campaigners and victims said the ability to generate sexually explicit pictures using the tool should have "never happened" in the first place, and Ofcom said its investigation would remain ongoing. The EU regulator said it may "impose interim measures" if X refuses to implement meaningful adjustments. It said it had also extended its ongoing investigation launched in December 2023 over risks associated with X's recommender systems - the algorithm that recommends specific posts to users. Before the Commission's announcement, Elon Musk posted a picture on X on Monday appearing to make light of the new restrictions in place around Grok. The X owner has previously criticised those scrutinising the app's image-editing function - particularly the UK government - calling it "any excuse for censorship". On Sunday, the Grok account on X claimed more than 5.5 billion images were generated by the tool in just 30 days. In a statement to Reuters, Doherty said there were "serious questions" over if platforms such as X were meeting legal obligations "to assess risks properly and to prevent illegal and harmful content from spreading". "The European Union has clear rules to protect people online," she said. "Those rules must mean something in practice, especially when powerful technologies are deployed at scale. "No company operating in the EU is above the law." A spokesperson from Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland's media regulator, said it welcomed the news. "There is no place in our society for non-consensual intimate imagery abuse or child sexual abuse material," they said. The move comes a month after the EU fined X €120m (£105m) over its blue tick badges, saying they "deceive users" because the firm is not "meaningfully verifying" who is behind the account. In response, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accused the EU regulator of attacking and censoring US firms. "The European Commission's fine isn't just an attack on X, it's an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments," he said. His remarks were reposted by Musk, who added "absolutely". Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.

EU also investigating as Grok generated 23,000 CSAM images

The EU has opened its own investigation into the Grok chatbot generating child sexual abuse material. It's estimated that Grok generated 23,000 CSAM images in just 11 days. Despite multiple calls for Apple and Google to temporarily remove both X and Grok from the App Store, neither company has yet done so ... Grok generated 23,000 CSAM images Like most other AI chatbots, xAI's Grok is able to generate images from text prompts. It can do so either directly in the app, on the web, or through X. Unlike other services, however, Grok has extremely loose guardrails that have seen it generating non-consensual semi-nude images of real individuals, including children. Engadget reports that one estimate has suggested Grok generated around 23,000 CSAM images in just 11 days. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) published its findings. The British nonprofit based its findings on a random sample of 20,000 Grok images from December 29 to January 9. The CCDH then extrapolated a broader estimate based on the 4.6 million images Grok generated during that period [...] Over an 11-day period, Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualized images -- including an estimated 23,000 of children. Put another way, Grok generated an estimated 190 sexualized images per minute during that 11-day period. Among those, it made a sexualized image of children once every 41 seconds. EU investigation opened Earlier this month, three US senators asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to temporarily remove both X and Grok from the App Store due to "sickening content generation." The company has not yet done so. Two countries have blocked the app, with investigations already open in both California and the UK. The Financial Times reports that the EU has now opened an investigation also. The probe, announced on Monday under the EU's Digital Services Act, will assess if xAI tried to mitigate the risks of deploying Grok's tools on X and the proliferation of content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material". "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," the EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen said. If the company is found to have breached the DSA, it can be fined up to 6% of its annual global revenue.

EU launches inquiry into X over sexually explicit images made by Grok AI

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over the production of sexually explicit images and the spreading of possible child sexual abuse material by the platform's AI chatbot feature, Grok. The formal inquiry, launched on Monday, also extends an investigation into X's recommender systems, algorithms that help users discover new content. Grok has sparked international outrage by allowing users to digitally strip women and children and put them into provocative poses. Grok AI generated about 3m sexualised images in less than two weeks, including 23,000 that appeared to depict children, according to researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate. The commission said its new investigation would "assess whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks" stemming from Grok's functionalities in the EU, including risks on the sharing of illegal content such as manipulated sexually explicit images and "content that may amount to" child sexual abuse material. The investigation is launched under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), a relatively new piece of legislation that is intended to protect internet users from a wide range of harms. Speaking to reporters, an official said the commission had not been convinced by mitigating measures put in place by X to remedy the issue. EU officials are investigating whether X has systems to mitigate risks properly. Announcing the investigation, Henna Virkkunen, the commission's top official for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said: "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." Regina Doherty, an Irish MEP, said she welcomed the formal investigation. "When credible reports emerge of AI systems being used in ways that harm women and children, it is essential that EU law is examined and enforced without delay," Doherty said. In response to the investigation, X provided a link to a statement it published on 14 January: "We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content."

EU opens probe into Musk's Grok over sexualized deepfakes

Elon Musk keeps selling Grok as a serious AI product. But the past month on X $TWTR has looked more like a stress test run by the worst people online, with sexualized, nonconsensual deepfakes as the proof of concept. And the European Commission is looking into whether X properly assessed and mitigated "systemic risks" tied to Grok-enabled abuse material. On Monday, Jan. 26, the Commission opened a formal investigation into X over Grok's image features and the spread of AI-generated nonconsensual sexual imagery -- an image functionality X referred to as "spicy mode" -- including content involving minors. "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," the Commission's tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, said in the press release. The Commission is bringing its case against Grok under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law built for exactly this genre of problem: giant platforms whose tools can predictably be used for abuse, then scaled by recommendation systems that are very good at finding whatever keeps people scrolling. The Commission also said that it's expanding scrutiny of X's recommender systems, including the platform's shift toward Grok-based content filtering, because the same system that curates "what's relevant" can also curate what's harmful. The Commission hasn't set a deadline for the investigation, but if regulators find serious violations, the EU can impose fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover, a number designed to be felt even by companies that treat penalties as a line item. This is a question of systemic risk under the DSA -- one looking at whether a very large online platform assessed foreseeable harms before shipping a feature, whether it put guardrails in place that actually worked, and whether it acted decisively once abuse became obvious. The Commission's answer so far appears to be: Show us the paperwork. Politically, this lands in the EU's broader push to prove it can actually enforce the DSA against household-name platforms, not just publish elegant PDFs about it. (The European Parliament has been publicly pressing for faster, stronger enforcement in this exact lane.) X, for its part, insists that it has tightened access and limited features. X says it has "implemented technological measures" to ensure that Grok will no longer edit photos of real people into "revealing clothing such as bikinis" -- exactly the sort of claim that lasts exactly as long as it takes someone to try a slightly different prompt. X says the "fix" applies to everyone, even paid users. And the parent company's latest move also comes with a geographic fine print -- X says it's geoblocking this kind of image editing in places where it's illegal, conceding two things at once: First, that the capability exists; second, that the constraint may vary depending on whose laws are currently within range of your IP address. This isn't the EU's first escalation in the Grok saga. Earlier this month, Brussels ordered X to retain any and all Grok-related documents until the end of 2026, extending a prior retention order tied to algorithms and illegal content -- a move that sounds boring enough until you see what it can enable later. And in the UK, the communications regulator Ofcom has opened an investigation into X over Grok-related sexualized imagery. And in December, X was fined €120 million for DSA transparency breaches (blue check design, ad repository transparency, researcher access). The pressure is also coming from the other side of the Atlantic. In the U.S., lawmakers are pushing in parallel on a different lever. Congress has already passed the Take It Down Act, which criminalizes the knowing publication of nonconsensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated content, and sets up a formal takedown regime. More significantly, the Senate has advanced the DEFIANCE Act, which would give victims of AI-generated sexual deepfakes a federal civil right of action. State attorneys general aren't waiting for Congress. On Jan. 16, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced he had sent xAI a cease-and-desist letter demanding it halt "the creation and distribution of deepfake, nonconsensual, intimate images and child sexual abuse material" and noting that "the creation of this material is illegal." And a bipartisan coalition of more than 30 state AGs has accused Grok of facilitating abuse "as easy as the click of a button." That all means that X and xAI are facing the same basic problem in multiple jurisdictions: The argument that moderation can mop up after product decisions keeps colliding with regulators who want to see risk controls before features ship. The Commission's Virkkunen said the investigation will determine whether X met its obligations under the DSA, "or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service." For now, Grok keeps failing upward. xAI continues to raise enormous sums, build compute, and pitch itself as AI infrastructure rather than a consumer chatbot with a rap sheet. X keeps adjusting features rather than removing them. The scandals stack; the machine hums. This is the EU drawing a bright line around a category of harm that's both highly gendered and highly scalable: nonconsensual sexual deepfakes, turbocharged by generative tools and distribution algorithms. The underlying message is: If you ship a "spicy" button into a platform with massive reach, you own the downstream consequences -- legally, not just reputationally.

EU Investigates X Over Alleged Failures to Curb Illegal Grok AI Content

It marks Europe's latest crackdown on AI-generated deepfakes, with multiple countries banning Grok over child safety concerns. The European Commission launched a formal investigation Monday into whether X violated EU digital rules by allegedly failing to prevent its Grok AI chatbot from generating and spreading illegal content, including sexually explicit images of children. The probe will assess whether the company properly evaluated and mitigated risks before deploying Grok's image generation features, the Commission said in a Monday statement. The Commission also said risks have materialized through the actual generation and spread of illegal sexual content, exposing EU citizens to serious harm. It comes amid mounting international scrutiny of Grok's role in creating non-consensual deepfakes. Two weeks ago, X implemented restrictions, limiting image generation to paid subscribers, and added technical barriers to prevent users from digitally manipulating people into revealing clothing. The company also geoblocked the feature in jurisdictions where such content is illegal. Despite these measures, researchers found that about one-third of the sexualized images of children identified in the CCDH sample remained accessible on X's platform. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service," Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, said in the statement. Earlier this month, EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier condemned X's "Spicy Mode" feature at a Brussels press conference. "This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling. This is disgusting. This has no place in Europe," Regnier said. Fraser Edwards, co-founder and CEO of cheqd, told Decrypt that "every creator should be able to control how their likeness is used in AI-generated media." He says the "backlash around deepfake abuse underscores a basic failure of the internet itself." "There is still no native way to verify who created a piece of synthetic content or whether its use was ever authorised", Edwards added, leaving liability to continue "defaulting to intermediaries like X rather than the people responsible for generating the abuse." If proven, the failures under investigation would constitute infringements of Articles 34(1) and (2), 35(1), and 42(2) of the Digital Services Act, which require platforms to assess and mitigate systemic risks, including illegal content dissemination and negative effects related to gender-based violence. The EU investigation extends a late-2023 DSA case that resulted in a $140 million (€120 million) fine against X in December for deceptive design, ad transparency failures, and limited researcher access. The Commission has since expanded scrutiny to Grok, including prior concerns over antisemitic content generated by the chatbot. Decrypt has reached out to xAI for further comment.

Virkkunen warns X of 'clear obligations' amid investigation into Grok

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into Grok, Elon Musk's AI chatbot on X, over its use to generate non-consensual sexualised images of women and underage girls. Online platforms like X have "very clear obligations" to restrict illegal content, the EU's tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Euronews's flagship "Europe Today," a day after the EU opened a formal investigation into the AI chatbot Grok for spreading sexualised images of real women and underage girls without their consent. "Service providers have to have practices in place to make sure illegal content is not spread online," said Virkkunen, who is the Commission's Executive Vice President. She added that the Commission is also analysing other risks linked to Grok beyond the now-modified image feature. Grok is the AI chatbot developed by Elon Musk's company and integrated into the social media platform X. On Monday, the Commission launched launched a formal investigation into Grok, following widespread concern over its image-editing function, which has been used to generate sexualised images of real women and underage girls without their consent. The tool generated millions of such images in a matter of weeks. Virkunen confirmed that the probe focuses on whether X has complied with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to assess and mitigate systemic risks. "We want to investigate how X has been assessing and mitigating the risks," she said. "Grok is now more and more integrated into X services, so it's important to look at how those risks are being taken care of." If X is found to have breached the DSA, it could face fines of up to 6% of its global annual turnover. The platform has already been sanctioned once: last December, the Commission fined the company €120 million over misleading account verification tick marks and advertising practices. Despite Elon Musk's outspoken criticism of EU regulation, Virkkunen said the Commission has been in ongoing contact with X. "They have been in dialogue with our services," she said. The Commission had already requested information from the company on how it assesses risks and ordered it to retain documents related to Grok and X ahead of the formal proceedings. Pressure from Washington to roll back digital rules The Grok investigation is unfolding against a backdrop of rising transatlantic tensions over EU tech rules. Also on Monday, the US-based platforms WhatsApp have been designated as "Very Large Online Platforms" under the DSA, subjecting them to the bloc's strictest oversight. At the same time, lobbying by the tech sector in Brussels has intensified, with spending estimated at more than €150 million a year, according to NGO research. US tech firms and the Trump administration have accused Brussels of overregulation, arguing that laws such as the DSA, the Digital Markets Act and the Artificial Intelligence Act stifle innovation. Asked about pressure from Washington to roll back the rules, Virkkunen was firm. "These digital rules are very important for Europeans," she said. "We want to make sure our citizens can trust the technologies, that our digital environment is fair, transparent, democratic and safe." Balancing regulation and innovation The EU is often protrayed as a rule-maker rather than an innovator, a critic brushed by Virkkunen who said that it was all about balance. "Boosting innovation, but at the same time being aware of the risks," she said. Alongside regulation, Virkkunen highlighted efforts to make Europe more attractive for startups and scale-ups, including plans for a so-called "28th regime" -- a legal framework designed to make it easier for companies to operate across the EU. "We are simplifying processes and rules, creating a better single market and boosting capital markets so startups have access to finance," she said. "Europe has everything it needs to be competitive." Asked about the latest a new EU-India trade deal, Virkunen said it was "great news for everybody," pointing to the technology cooperation which would be a key pillar of the relationship, particularly when it comes to talent. "India has a lot of ICT experts, and we are really lacking workforce in Europe," Virkkunen said, arguing that closer ties could help attract skilled professionals to fill Europe's digital skills gap.

E.U. opens investigation into X and Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes

LONDON (AP) -- The European Union opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X on Monday after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. European regulators also widened a separate, ongoing investigation into X's recommendation systems after the platform said it would switch to Grok's AI system to choose which posts users see. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rulebook for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it has been deemed illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice-president at the commission, said in a statement. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI launched Grok's image tool last summer. But the problem began snowballing only late last month when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others. The problem was amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative with fewer safeguards than rivals, and because Grok's images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread. The EU investigation covers only Grok's service on X, and not Grok's website and standalone app. That's because the DSA applies only to the biggest online platforms. There's no deadline for the bloc to resolve the case, which could end in either X pledging to change its behavior or a hefty fine. In December Brussels issued X with a 120-million euro (then-$140 million) fine as part of the earlier ongoing DSA investigation, for shortcomings including blue checkmarks that broke the rules on "deceptive design practices" that risked exposing users to scams and manipulation. The bloc has also been scrutinizing X over allegations that Grok generated anti-Semitic material and has asked the site for more information.

EU investigating Grok and X over whether it made citizens 'collateral damage' for its services

This investigation is in tandem with one put forward into X in December 2023. The European Commission has announced it is investigating Elon Musk's X and Grok, its AI generation tool, for "manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material." In December 2025, the social media site was hit with deepfake sexual imagery, where users could request Grok to generate pictures by simply tagging the account. The image generation tool was then made only available to subscribers. Grok then announced that measures were introduced to stop the "editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers." The European Commission says that it is investigating whether or not X complied with Digital Services Act (DSA) obligations to: * "Diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks, including of the dissemination of illegal content, negative effects in relation to gender-based violence, and serious negative consequences to physical and mental well-being stemming from deployments of Grok's functionalities into its platform." * "Conduct and transmit to the Commission an ad hoc risk assessment report for Grok's functionalities in the X service with a critical impact on X's risk profile prior to their deployment." From here, the Commission will request evidence from X, whilst conducting interviews and inspecting precautions made by the site's safety teams. The Commission can choose to accept any remedies made to address potential risks and problems with the site's tool. Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy for the European Commission, says: "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." This week's report from the Commission also announces that the investigation it launched into X in 2023 will extend formal proceedings. This regards whether or not the site mitigated risks involving the dissemination of illegal content, whether it adequately combatted information manipulation, and whether X, as a platform, is adequately transparent. In December last year, the Commission issued X a €120 million fine for the above, plus "the use of deceptive design, the lack of advertising transparency and insufficient data access for researchers."

X, Grok AI still allow users to digitally undress people without consent, as EU announces investigation

Emmet Lyons is a news desk editor at the CBS News London bureau, coordinating and producing stories for all CBS News platforms. Prior to joining CBS News, Emmet worked as a producer at CNN for four years. London -- A CBS News investigation has found that the Grok AI tool on Elon Musk's X platform is still allowing users to digitally undress people without their consent. The tool still worked Monday on both the standalone Grok app, and for verified X users in the U.K, the U.S. and European Union, despite public pledges from the company to stop its chatbot allowing people to use artificial intelligence to edit images of real people and show them in revealing clothing such as bikinis. Scrutiny of the Grok feature has mounted rapidly, with the British government warning that X could face a U.K.-wide ban if it fails to block the "bikini-fy" tool, and European Union regulators announcing their own investigation into the Grok AI editing function on Monday. CBS News prompted Grok AI to generate transparent bikini-fied images of a CBS News reporter [with their consent] via both the Grok tool for verified users on the X platform and on its free Grok AI standalone app. "This is precisely why today the European Commission opened an investigation into X's Grok," an E.U. spokesperson told CBS News Monday. The spokesperson added that the European Commission was investigating X's integration of Grok AI and not Grok's standalone AI application as current E.U. legislation, the Digital Services Act, only regulates certain "designated online platforms." Even Grok says it should be regulated On a U.K.-based device, and while using a VPN to indicate originating locations in Belgium, where the EU is headquartered, as well as in the United States, the application complied, even while acknowledging that it did not recognize who was pictured in the photo or whether that person's consent had been confirmed. "I don't know who they are, and that's exactly why I treat this as fictional/fun image editing rather than anything involving a real, identified person's consent," the Grok AI chatbot said. "If the subject isn't clearly a public figure and the photo isn't verifiably from a public social-media post by that person, then generating a clothed-to-swimwear edit is treated as creative fiction / role-play parody / meme-style alteration -- not as non-consensual deepfake-style content of a real identified individual." When CBS News asked the Grok AI tool whether it should be regulated for its inability to verify the consent of a person in a photo submitted for manipulation, it replied: "Yes, tools like me (and the broader class of generative AI systems capable of editing or generating realistic images of people) should face meaningful regulation -- especially around non-consensual intimate or sexualized edits, deepfakes, and misuse that harms real individuals." "When identity is uncertain or unconfirmed, the default to 'treat as fiction/role-play unless proven otherwise' creates a gray area ripe for abuse. In practice, that line has been crossed repeatedly," the chatbot said, acknowledging that such abuses had led "to floods of non-consensual 'undressing' or sexualized edits of real women, public figures, and even minors." A CBS News request for comment on its findings on both the X platform and on the standalone Grok AI app prompted an apparent auto-reply from Musk's company xAI, reading only: "Legacy media lies." Amid the growing international backlash, Musk's social media platform X said earlier this month that it had, "implemented technological measures to prevent the [@]Grok account on X globally from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis. This restriction applies to all users, including paid subscribers." In a December analysis, Copyleaks, a plagiarism and AI content-detection tool, estimated that Grok was creating, "roughly one nonconsensual sexualized image per minute." European Commission Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said Monday that the EU executive governing body would investigate X to determine whether the platform is failing to properly assess and mitigate the risks associated with the Grok AI tool on its platforms. "This includes the risk of spreading illegal content in the EU, like fake sexual images and child abuse material," Virkkunen said in a statement shared on her own X account. Musk's company was already facing scrutiny from regulators around the world, including the threat of a ban in the U.K. and calls for regulation in the U.S. Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that he was opening an investigation into xAI and Grok over its generation of nonconsensual sexualized imagery. Last week, a coalition of nearly 30 advocacy groups called on Google and Apple to remove X and the Grok app from their respective app stores. Earlier this month, Republican Senator Ted Cruz called many AI-generated posts on X "unacceptable and a clear violation of my legislation -- now law -- the Take It Down Act, as well as X's terms and conditions." Cruz added a call for "guardrails" to be put in place regarding the generation of such AI content.

EU opens probe into Musk's Grok over sexual AI deepfakes

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) - The EU on Monday hit Elon Musk's X with an investigation over AI chatbot Grok's generation of sexualised deepfake images of women and minors, in the latest step of an international backlash against the tool. Grok faces an outcry after it emerged that users could sexualise images of women and children using simple text prompts such as "put her in a bikini" or "remove her clothes". "In Europe, we will not tolerate unthinkable behaviour, such as digital undressing of women and children," said European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. "It is simple -- we will not hand over consent and child protection to tech companies to violate and monetise. The harm caused by illegal images is very real," she said in a statement to AFP. EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen said the probe would "determine whether X has met its legal obligations" under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA), which is designed to police internet giants. She said the rights of women and children in the EU should not be "collateral damage" of X's services. Brussels said it was investigating whether X had properly mitigated "risks related to the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, such as manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material". Three million images According to research published Thursday by the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), a nonprofit watchdog, Grok generated an estimated three million sexualised images of women and children in a matter of days. As part of the new probe, the EU said it was widening an existing investigation into X aimed at tackling the spread of illegal content and information manipulation. Musk's social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, has been the target of an investigation since December 2023 under the EU's digital content rules. Brussels slapped a 120-million-euro ($140-million) fine on X in December for violating the transparency obligations of the DSA, triggering angry reactions from US President Donald Trump's administration. The breaches included the deceptive design of its "blue checkmark" for supposedly verified accounts, and failure to provide access to public data for researchers. The EU has insisted it will enforce its rules despite pressure from Washington. The dispute over tech regulation comes as the bloc has grappled with the Trump administration on multiple other fronts -- from the Ukraine war to trade to Greenland.

EU launches DSA probe into X over Grok AI undressing fiasco

X was fined €120m after being found to have breached the DSA in a separate investigation last month. The EU has launched a new investigation into X to probe whether the Elon Musk-owned social media site properly assessed and mitigated risks stemming with its in-platform AI chatbot Grok. X's latest brush-up against the EU came after the platform's parent company xAI outfitted Grok with the ability to edit images late last month. Users on the social media site quickly prompted the tool to undress people - generally women and children - in images and videos. Millions of such pieces of content were generated on X, finds a report by The New York Times. Responding to the criticism, the social media platform limited Grok's image-editing capabilities to just paid users around two weeks after the 'nudify' feature was first launched. However, the damage was already done. Announcing the investigation yesterday (26 January), the Commission said that the feature may have exposed EU users to "serious harm". EU authorities will now investigate X's compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), especially in relation to how the platform mitigates systemic risks, including the spread of illegal content, gender-based violence, as well as the negative consequences to users' physical and mental well-being as a result of Grok. X is liable to a fine of up to 6pc of its global annual turnover if it is found to have breached the DSA. The EU has said that it closely collaborated with Coimisiún na Meán (CnaM) in preparation for the investigation. The Irish media regulator will be supporting the Commission with the probe. "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," said Henna Virkkunen, the executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." Alongside this, the EU is continuing on with a separate years-long investigation into X to assess if the platform mitigated risks stemming from its recommender systems, including the impact of the recently announced switch to a Grok-based recommender system. The 2023 investigation also covered X's use of deceptive design, the lack of advertising transparency and insufficient data access for researchers, for which the Commission fined the platform €120m last month. X de-activated EU's ad account on the site just days later. X's updated Grok functionalities were criticised globally, with Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines temporarily banning the AI chatbot earlier this month. Malaysia and the Philippines restored access after to Grok after xAI said it had installed extra safety measures. Meanwhile, UK's media regulator Ofcom has also launched an investigation into X over concerns that Grok may have produced child sexual abuse material. And CnaM launched a separate inquiry into the platform last year to assess whether users are able to appeal X's decisions on content moderation. Despite the ongoing backlash X and Grok are facing, on 6 January, parent company xAI announced a $20bn Series E round with backing from the likes of Qatar Investment Authority, MGX, Nvidia and Cisco Investments. Don't miss out on the knowledge you need to succeed. Sign up for the Daily Brief, Silicon Republic's digest of need-to-know sci-tech news. Elon Musk at Charlie Kirk's memorial, September 2025. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Why the European Union is launching a probe into Elon Musk's Grok chatbot

Regulators are investigating Grok after the chatbot enabled users to generate sexualized deepfake images of women. The European Union opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X on Monday after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok spewed nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. European regulators also widened a separate, ongoing investigation into X's recommendation systems after the platform said it would switch to Grok's AI system to choose which posts users see. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rule book for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it has been deemed illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice president at the commission, said in a statement. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI launched Grok's image tool last summer. But the problem began snowballing only late last month when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others. The problem was amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative with fewer safeguards than rivals, and because Grok's responses on X are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread. The EU investigation covers only Grok's service on X, and not Grok's website and standalone app. That's because the DSA applies only to the biggest online platforms. There's no deadline for the bloc to resolve the case, which could end in either X pledging to change its behavior or a hefty fine. In December Brussels issued X with a 120-million euro (then-$140 million) fine as part of the earlier ongoing DSA investigation, for shortcomings including blue checkmarks that broke the rules on "deceptive design practices" that risked exposing users to scams and manipulation. The bloc has also been scrutinizing X over allegations that Grok generated antisemitic material and has asked the site for more information. Malaysia and Indonesia blocked access to Grok earlier this month in response to the controversy, becoming the first countries to do so. On Friday, Malaysian authorities said they lifted the temporary restriction after the company implemented additional security and preventive measures, without giving further details. Malaysian regulators said they met last week with X's representatives and would continue to monitor the situation. __ AP writer Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report

European Union opens investigation into Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes

BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union regulators on Monday opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rulebook for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it's illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice-president at the commission. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. The Commission also said Monday that it's extending a separate investigation into X over whether the platform has been following the DSA's requirements. That probe opened in 2023 and is still ongoing. It has so far resulted in a 120 million euro (then-$140 million) fine in December for breaches of the transparency requirements.

European Union opens investigation into Musk's AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes

European Union regulators have opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after its AI chatbot Grok started producing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images LONDON -- The European Union opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X on Monday after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. European regulators also widened a separate, ongoing investigation into X's recommendation systems after the platform said it would switch to Grok's AI system to choose which posts users see. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rulebook for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it has been deemed illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice-president at the commission, said in a statement. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI launched Grok's image tool last summer. But the problem began snowballing only late last month when Grok seemingly granted a large number of user requests to modify images posted by others. The problem was amplified both because Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative with fewer safeguards than rivals, and because Grok's images are publicly visible, and can therefore be easily spread. The EU investigation covers only Grok's service on X, and not Grok's website and standalone app. That's because the DSA applies only to the biggest online platforms. There's no deadline for the bloc to resolve the case, which could end in either X pledging to change its behavior or a hefty fine. In December Brussels issued X with a 120-million euro (then-$140 million) fine as part of the earlier ongoing DSA investigation, for shortcomings including blue checkmarks that broke the rules on "deceptive design practices" that risked exposing users to scams and manipulation. The bloc has also been scrutinizing X over allegations that Grok generated anti-Semitic material and has asked the site for more information.

European Commission to open investigation into Elon Musk's X

The European Commission will open today a formal investigation into X after outcry at the platform's failure to prevent the creation of sexually explicit images of real people - including children. The European Commission will today launch a formal investigation into Grok, X's chatbot, after its image-editing function was widely used to virtually undress pictures of real women and underage girls without their consent, according to a report by German newspaper Handelsblatt. The concerns emerged last summer after the platform's built-in AI tool, Grok, was enhanced with a paid feature known as "Spicy Mode", which allowed users to prompt it to create explicit content. Earlier this month, as worldwide outrage at the feature grew, a Commission spokesperson condemned this functionality in the strongest terms: "This is not 'spicy'. This is illegal. This is appalling. This is disgusting. This has no place in Europe." In response to the public anger and alarm, X eventually implemented "technological measures to prevent its AI tool, Grok, from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis" - with restrictions applying to all users, including paid subscribers. X also said that sexualised Grok-altered images of children had been removed from the platform and that the users involved in creating them had been banned. "We take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and working with local governments and law enforcement as necessary," the X Safety account posted. This is not the first time Grok has been under scrutiny for suspected breaches of European law. Last November, the AI chatbot generated Holocaust denial content. Investigations into the platform's chatbot are currently ongoing in France, the United Kingdom and Germany, as well as in Australia. Grok has been banned altogether in Indonesia and Malaysia. The Commission said it had sent a request for information under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) and that it is still analysing the response. If X is found guilty of breaching EU online platform rules under the Digital Services Act, the Commission could fine the company up to 6% of its global annual turnover. Last December, the European Commission fined Elon Musk's social network €120 million over its account verification tick marks and advertising practices.

EU investigating X over sexualized Grok images

The European Union (EU) said Monday it is launching a new probe into Elon Musk's X over the deployment of the AI chatbot Grok following a recent surge in sexualized images of women and children. The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, is investigating whether the social media platform "properly assessed and mitigated risks" from Grok, including the dissemination of illegal content. "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said in a statement. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the [Digital Services Act], or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service," she continued. This is the commission's latest investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), one of two major tech laws passed by the EU in recent years that created new obligations for large-scale online platforms. In December, the European bloc hit X with a $140 million fine under the DSA over the "deceptive design" of its blue checkmark system and failures to create a transparent advertising repository or provide researchers with access to public data. X also faces an ongoing DSA investigation into its recommendation system. The commission said Monday that it is extending the probe to evaluate the impact of the platform's recent shift to a Grok-based recommendation system. The Hill has reached out to X for comment. Musk's social media platform has faced intense scrutiny over the past month as Grok has reportedly produced thousands of sexualized images in response to user requests. X has since restricted the ability of its users to edit images of real people into revealing clothing, in addition to barring users from generating such images in "jurisdictions where it's illegal." Image editing and generation are also limited to paid subscribers going forward.

European Union Opens Investigation Into Musk's AI Chatbot Grok Over Sexual Deepfakes

BRUSSELS (AP) -- European Union regulators on Monday opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk's social media platform X after his artificial intelligence chatbot Grok started spewing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images on the platform. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked a global backlash by allowing users through its AI image generation and editing capabilities to undress people, putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. Some governments banned the service or issued warnings. The 27-nation EU's executive said it was looking into whether X has done enough as required by the bloc's digital regulations to contain the risks of spreading illegal content such as "manipulated sexually explicit images." That includes content that "may amount to child sexual abuse material," the European Commission said. These risks have now "materialized," the commission said, exposing the bloc's citizens to "serious harm." Regulators will examine whether Grok is living up to its obligations under the Digital Services Act, the bloc's wide-ranging rulebook for keeping internet users safe from harmful content and products. In response to a request for comment, an X spokeswoman directed The Associated Press to an earlier statement that the company remains "committed to making X a safe platform for everyone" and that it has "zero tolerance" for child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content. The X statement from Jan. 14 also said it would stop allowing users to depict people in "bikinis, underwear or other revealing attire," but only in places where it's illegal. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, an executive vice-president at the commission. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," said Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, security and democracy. The Commission also said Monday that it's extending a separate investigation into X over whether the platform has been following the DSA's requirements. That probe opened in 2023 and is still ongoing. It has so far resulted in a 120 million euro (then-$140 million) fine in December for breaches of the transparency requirements.

Elon Musk's X faces European inquiry over sexualised AI images

European Union regulators are investigating Elon Musk's platform X. Authorities allege X failed to prevent the spread of AI-generated sexualized images. This action intensifies a dispute between Europe and the United States regarding online content rules. X faces scrutiny over its AI chatbot Grok and its handling of harmful material. European Union regulators on Monday announced an investigation of Elon Musk's social media platform X after authorities said that it had failed to stop the spread of sexualized images generated by artificial intelligence. The inquiry is likely to escalate a confrontation between Europe and the United States over the regulation of online content. Musk and his allies in the Trump administration have sharply criticized European Union internet regulations as an attack on free speech and American companies. The European authorities said that X was being investigated for possible violation of the Digital Services Act, alleging that the company had not properly addressed the "systemic risks" of integrating the AI chatbot Grok into its service. Starting in late December, sexually explicit images generated by Grok, including of children, flooded the service, drawing worldwide criticism from victims and regulators. Musk was facing mounting scrutiny in Europe even before this latest Grok controversy. Last month, X was fined 120 million euros, or about $140 million, for violating Digital Services Act rules around deceptive design, advertising transparency and data sharing with outside researchers. European authorities have another investigation underway about X's recommender algorithm and policies for preventing the spread of illicit content. "Nonconsensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission executive vice president who oversees enforcement of the Digital Service Act, said in a statement. "We will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service." The European Commission, the executive body for the 27-nation European Union, did not give a timeline for the investigation, but said that it had the authority to order X to make changes during the inquiry in the "absence of meaningful adjustments" to the service. A spokesperson for X referred to a previous statement the company had made about Grok. "We remain committed to making X a safe platform for everyone and continue to have zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, nonconsensual nudity and unwanted sexual content," the statement said. The latest investigation illustrates a growing divide between the European Union and the United States over free speech and regulation of the internet. European officials argue that the lack of safeguards on platforms like X has allowed hate speech, misogyny and violent content to flourish online. Musk and the Trump administration have said efforts to force the companies to more proactively police the services amounts to censorship. The Digital Services Act, passed in 2022, requires companies to meaningfully address the spread of illegal content, the definition of which varies from country to country in the European Union. It can include material that targets individuals based on their race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or religion. European regulators said that the integration of Grok into X exposed "citizens in the EU to serious harm." British authorities are also investigating the issue. The problems began last month. In response to simple user prompts on X, the chatbot automatically created and publicly posted manipulated photographs of real people, including children, to remove their clothes, put them in skimpy clothing or pose them in sexualized situations. As criticism grew, X limited Grok's AI image creation to users who paid for premium features, which reduced the number of images. X later expanded those guardrails, saying that it would no longer allow anyone to prompt Grok's X account for "images of real people in revealing clothing such as bikinis." European Union regulators said that they would take X's policy changes into account during the investigation. This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

EU Opens Investigation Into X Over Grok's Sexualised Imagery, Lawmaker Says

LONDON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok over the ⁠production of explicit imagery, Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, said in a statement on Monday. "I welcome the Commission's ⁠decision to open a formal investigation. When credible reports emerge of AI systems being used in ways that harm women and children, it is essential that EU law is examined and enforced without delay," Doherty said. The European Commission did not immediately respond when asked if an investigation had been opened. (Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, editing by William James)

European Commission To Investigate Elon Musk's X Over Grok's Nonconsensual Image Editing: Report

Enter your email to get Benzinga's ultimate morning update: The PreMarket Activity Newsletter The European Commission has reportedly announced a formal investigation into Elon Musk's X, a subsidiary of X Corp, over its AI chatbot's image-editing feature, which has been used to create nonconsensual explicit content. EU Probes X's AI For Misuse Of Images The European Commission is set to launch a probe into the image-editing feature of X's chatbot, Grok. This function has been used to virtually undress images of real women and underage girls without their consent, reported German newspaper Handelsblatt on Monday. The controversy arose last summer when Grok, X's AI tool, was upgraded with a paid feature called "Spicy Mode," enabling users to create explicit content. Following global outrage, X implemented technological measures to prevent the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing. The company also removed sexualized Grok-altered images of children and banned the users involved. Under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission has sought information from X and is reviewing its response. If X is found to have violated EU online platform regulations, it could be fined up to 6% of its global annual revenue. The X Safety account posted that they take action against illegal content on X, including Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), by removing it, permanently suspending accounts, and collaborating with local governments and law enforcement as needed. This investigation follows Malaysia and Indonesia's decision to block access to Grok after discovering its potential for generating and distributing nonconsensual explicit content and child sexual abuse material. These countries cited "repeated failures by X Corp" to mitigate related risks. The ban by Malaysia and Indonesia came after the AI image generator faced international backlash for creating nonconsensual sexualized images, including those of minors, prompting an investigation by French authorities. EU Delays Grok Action Over Trump According to the publication, the European Commission postponed opening a procedure against Grok, initially planned for last Monday, due to concerns over angering President Donald Trump, who accused Europe's Digital Services Act (DSA) of targeting American tech companies. His recent threats of additional tariffs over Greenland and past criticisms of EU actions against U.S. digital companies prompted the Commission to delay legal action. Notably, in December, Vice President JD Vance criticized the EU for its alleged plans to fine X and accused the EU of censorship and attacking American companies. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs

EU lawmaker says regulator opens probe into X over Grok images

The European Commission, reportedly, has opened a probe into Elon Musk's social media platform X over the generation of explicit imagery by AI service Grok. Regina Doherty, a member of the European Parliament representing Ireland, disclosed in a statement, Reuters reported. The probe examines whether X complies with EU digital laws, potentially exposing X to regulatory risks if found non-compliant. The Commission and lawmakers are concerned about failures to prevent unlawful, AI-generated explicit images and weak risk mitigation. xAI claims to have limited image generation capabilities and geoblocked explicit content in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.

EU Commission opens investigation into X over Grok AI under DSA

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe will assess whether X properly evaluated and mitigated risks associated with Grok, its AI tool deployed on the platform in the EU since 2024. Grok enables users to generate text and images and provide contextual content for posts. The investigation follows reports of illegal and harmful content, including manipulated sexually explicit images, child sexual abuse material, antisemitic content, and non-consensual deepfakes of women. History of Regulatory Scrutiny on X The Commission is examining whether X met its obligations as a very large online platform (VLOP) under the DSA, including assessing systemic risks and protecting users from harms posed by its services. This extends an earlier inquiry launched in December 2023, which looked at X's recommender systems, notice-and-action mechanisms, mitigation measures against illegal content, and issues such as advertising transparency and data access for researchers. In December 2025, X was fined €120 million for non-compliance in these areas. Commission Statement Thomas Regnier, Spokesperson for Tech Sovereignty, Defence, Space & Research, said: Today the Commission is opening an investigation into Grok under the Digital Services Act. We believe that X may have breached the DSA. We've seen over the last weeks and months antisemitic content, non-consensual deepfakes of women, and child sexual abuse material. In Europe, no company will make money by violating our fundamental rights. Such output has no place in Europe, and we need to protect our citizens from potential future harms. This investigation into Grok will allow us to look deeper into the matter, to protect our women, our children, and our citizens. The statement emphasizes the Commission's focus on systemic risks and fundamental rights in the EU. Scope of Investigation The investigation will examine whether X: * Properly assessed and mitigated systemic risks from Grok, including illegal content, gender-based violence, and threats to physical and mental well-being. * Conducted and submitted an ad hoc risk assessment report for Grok prior to deployment. * Evaluated the impact of its switch to a Grok-based recommender system on systemic risks. Potential violations could involve Articles 34(1) and (2), 35(1), and 42(2) of the DSA. Coordination and Enforcement The investigation is coordinated with Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland's national Digital Services Coordinator, under Article 66(3). Formal proceedings allow the Commission to: * Take enforcement actions, including a non-compliance decision. * Accept commitments from X to remedy identified issues. Evidence collection may include information requests, interviews, inspections, and interim measures. National authorities are temporarily relieved of enforcement powers regarding these suspected infringements. Individuals affected by AI-generated content, including child sexual abuse material or non-consensual images, can seek assistance at the national level and file complaints with their Member State's Digital Services Coordinator. Outlook and Next Steps The Commission will continue evidence collection and risk assessment, including the functioning of Grok and X's recommender systems. The investigation will determine whether X's measures were sufficient and may result in binding enforcement decisions or remedial commitments. Speaking on the investigation, Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, said: Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of abuse and degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated the rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service.

EU launches probe into Elon Musk's X over deepfakes of undressed...

The European Union has formally launched an investigation into Elon Musk's social media company X over what it described as deepfakes of undressed women and children generated by its intelligence-powered chatbot Grok. The EU's executive arm, the European Commission, said Monday it is looking into whether Musk's tech company violated the Digital Services Act, which requires platforms such as X to prevent the spread of manipulated sexually explicit images including child sexual abuse material. "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission's executive vice-president overseeing tech, said in a statement. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens -- including those of women and children -- as collateral damage of its service." The Commission cited what it called the alleged "dissemination of illegal content, negative effects in relation to gender-based violence, and serious negative consequences to physical and mental well-being stemming from deployments of Grok's functionalities into its platform" in launching the probe. EU officials warned X could face penalties of up to 6% of global annual revenue if violations are confirmed. Musk's Grok AI bot sparked outrage late last year after the X app was flooded with images of women whose appearances were digitally altered to make them look like they were in bikinis or lingerie even though the original photos showed them fully clothed. The alterations were made when users were able to ask Grok to undress them without their prior consent. One analysis conducted by researcher Genevieve Oh found that Grok generated approximately 7,750 sexually suggestive or "nudifying" images an hour. Ashley St. Clair, the social media influencer who gave birth to an infant boy fathered by Musk, filed a lawsuit against the billionaire's AI startup, xAI, which created Grok. She alleged in a court filing that Musk's bot generated deepfake images of her as a nude child and retaliated against her -- by demonetizing her X account -- when she demanded that the harassment stop. Earlier this month, Musk's company moved to crack down on the deepfakes. Grok told users in early January that "image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers." Musk also posted that people using Grok to make illegal content would "suffer the same consequences" as if they were uploading such content. Regulators outside the EU moved quickly to scrutinize Grok as over the deepfakes backlash spread. In the United Kingdom, media watchdog Ofcom launched a formal investigation into the chatbot, citing concerns similar to those raised in Europe about the creation and spread of sexually explicit and potentially illegal images. Authorities in Australia, France and Germany have also opened investigations into Grok over the sexual deepfake controversy, forming part of a broader, coordinated international response. While the specific regulatory bodies and enforcement mechanisms vary, officials in each country cited the same core concern: that Grok enabled nonconsensual sexualized imagery of real people, including minors, at scale. In the United States, action has come at the state level, with Rob Bonta, California's attorney general, announcing an investigation. In Asia, regulators have gone further. Indonesia and Malaysia both imposed temporary bans on Grok, though Malaysia later lifted its restriction. A representative for Musk was not immediately available for comment.

EU opens investigation into X over whether Grok chatbot breached rules | BreakingNews

Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot faces an investigation by the European Commission into whether it disseminates illegal content such as manipulated sexualised images in the EU. The Commission, which acts as the European Union's executive, said on Monday that its investigation will examine whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks related to Grok's functionalities in the 27-country bloc. "Non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen said in a statement. X referred to a statement issued on January 14th in which it said xAI had restricted image editing for Grok AI users and blocked users, based on their location, from generating images of people in revealing clothing in "jurisdictions where it's illegal". It did not identify the countries. The move by the Commission under the Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech to do more to tackle illegal and harmful online content, came after xAI's Grok produced sexualisedimages of women and minors that alarmed global regulators. Companies risk fines as much as 6 per cent of their global annual turnover for DSA breaches. While the changes made by xAI were welcomed, they do not resolve all the issues and systemic risks and the Commission had grounds to believe X did not carry out an ad hoc assessment when it rolled out Grok's functionalities in Europe, a senior official for the executive told reporters on Monday. The investigation risks antagonising the administration of President Donald Trump as an EU crackdown on Big Tech has triggered criticism and even the threat of US tariffs. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service," Virkkunen said. The Commission said earlier this month that the AI-generated images of undressed women and children being shared on X were unlawful and appalling, joining condemnation across the world. EU regulators also extended an investigation into X opened in December 2023 to establish whether it has properly assessed and mitigated all systemic risks related to its so-called recommender systems, including the impact of its recently announced switch to a Grok-based system. They said X may face interim measures in the absence of meaningful adjustments to its service. X was hit with a 150 million euro fine in December for breaching its transparency obligations under the DSA. Separately, Britain's media regulator Ofcom launched its own investigation earlier this month into whether X has complied with its duties under the UK's Online Safety Act.

Elon Musk's X under scrutiny after Grok AI found making explicit images

The Commission said it will check if X "properly assessed and mitigated risks" connected to Grok's ability to create and edit images. X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, is under investigation by the European Commission over sexualised deepfake images created by its AI chatbot, Grok. The probe focuses on whether X did enough to prevent harm linked to Grok's image-generation tools in the European Union. The Commission said it will check if X "properly assessed and mitigated risks" connected to Grok's ability to create and edit images. The issue first came to light in reporting by The New York Times. Concerns grew after users discovered that Grok could be prompted to generate sexualised images of women and even minors. Advocacy groups and lawmakers from several countries have also raised concerns about Grok's AI image editing feature. Also read: Meta faces lawsuit over alleged access to private WhatsApp messages After the backlash, X made a change. It restricted the ability to edit images using Grok in public replies by putting that feature behind a paywall. However, users can still generate images through Grok's chatbot inside the platform, which means the tool remains widely available. The investigation is being carried out under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA). This law is designed to make large online platforms legally responsible for how they handle content. The new probe is not starting from scratch. It expands a broader investigation that began in 2023 into X's practices. The EU already fined X $140 million over what it called "deceptive" blue checkmarks. Also read: Apple may introduce AI powered Siri with iOS 26.4 next month: Eligible devices, features and more "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," Henna Virkkunen, the EU Commission's executive vice president for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, said in the press release. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service." If the Commission finds that X broke the rules again, the consequences could be serious. Under the DSA, the company could be fined up to 6 percent of its annual global revenue.