Ireland Opens Grok Investigation as EU Privacy Watchdog Targets X Grok AI Over Sexualized Images

EU launches probe into xAI over sexualized images

Europe's privacy watchdog has opened a "large-scale" inquiry into Elon Musk's X over AI-generated non-consensual sexual imagery, in the latest sign of how regulators are scrutinising the social media site's Grok chatbot. Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which is responsible for enforcing the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, said late on Monday that it had opened a probe into the creation and publication of "potentially harmful" sexualised images by Grok that contained or involved the processing of EU user data. The Grok chatbot is integrated into X's social media feeds, and developed by Musk's AI start-up xAI, which last year acquired X. Earlier this month, xAI merged with Musk's rocket maker SpaceX to create a $1.5 trillion behemoth. The investigation marks the latest in a number of inquiries by global authorities targeting X after thousands of sexualized deepfakes of women were generated using Grok in early January, prompting a widespread backlash from users, safety experts and politicians. "The DPC has been engaging with [X] since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Graham Doyle, DPC deputy commissioner, said in a statement on Monday. He added that the commission "has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine [X's] compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand." X did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk has taken a hands-off approach to moderating the Grok chatbot, citing free speech. Last summer, xAI made changes to the chatbot after it praised Hitler and made antisemitic posts on X. His X offices in Paris were raided by French and European investigators at the beginning of February as part of a wide-ranging investigation into X's algorithms as well as the spread of AI-generated sexual abuse material. French prosecutors have summoned Musk and Linda Yaccarino, X's former chief executive, for "voluntary interviews" in Paris in April. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office also last week announced it was launching a new investigation into X and xAI, saying it had "serious concerns" about Grok's use of personal data and "its potential to produce harmful sexualized image and video content." The EU has already opened a formal investigation into xAI for Grok's spread of sexualized images of women and children under the bloc's Digital Services Act, which requires big tech platforms to mitigate the spread of illegal and harmful content. The European probe announced on Monday, however, will assess whether X breached the EU's flagship GDPR rules, which mandate that companies ensure personal user data is processed only for specific lawful purposes, consider privacy during product development and draw up risk reviews in advance of the launch of high-risk features, for example. Following pressure from governments around the world, including threats of fines and bans in the EU, UK and France, X last month implemented "technological measures" to limit Grok from generating certain explicit images. However, the company has insisted that it removes Child Sexual Abuse Material and non-consensual nudity material. In response to the French raids, X said in a post that the allegations were "baseless" and it "categorically denies any wrongdoing." It dubbed the raid an "abusive act of law enforcement theatre designed to achieve illegitimate political objectives," adding that the investigation "distorts French law, circumvents due process, and endangers free speech." The latest investigation comes during a turbulent period for X, with dozens of staff departing the company last week, including two co-founders. Musk said in an all-hands meeting on Wednesday that he was restructuring the group after the merger with SpaceX.

Ireland's data regulator opens investigation into X's Grok

Social media platform's legal eagles prepare to fight ever-growing number of countries The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) is the latest regulator to open an investigation into Elon Musk's X following repeated reports of harmful image generation by the platform's Grok AI chatbot. The DPC confirmed today it is launching the probe under section 110 of the Data Protection Act 2018. Officials said the inquiry will focus on Grok AI and the nude or nearly nude images users prompted it to create from photographs of people, which could be viewed by others on the platform. X's safety team said in January that it had blocked its Grok tool from making these edits: "We have implemented technological measures to prevent the Grok account from allowing the editing of images of real people in revealing clothing..." In a statement, the Irish DPC said: "The inquiry concerns the apparent creation, and publication on the X platform, of potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate and/or sexualized images, containing or otherwise involving the processing of personal data of EU/EEA data subjects, including children, using generative artificial intelligence functionality associated with the Grok large language model via the Grok account within the X platform." The DPC will determine whether X violated various aspects of the GDPR, including Articles 5, 6, 25, and 35, that are related to principles and lawfulness of data processing, data protection by design and default, and data protection impact assessment requirements. "The DPC has been engaging with [X] since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," said deputy commissioner Graham Doyle. "As the lead supervisory authority for [X] across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine [X] compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand." A little late to the party, the DPC joins the likes of the European Commission, the UK's ICO and Ofcom, Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia in opening cases against the platform. The French also have a broad investigation ongoing since January, the scope of which continues to widen as more issues emerge. X's lawyers are going to be busy, not just with the number of open investigations but under the different laws they will have to defend themselves against. While both are EU authorities, the DPC and the European Commission's investigations are probing the same activity within the confines of GDPR and the Digital Services Act, respectively. Likewise, the UK's ICO and Ofcom regulate from different angles. The ICO will probe it from a data protection perspective, while Ofcom, the communications watchdog, is responsible for policing the Online Safety Act. X is accused of allowing users to prompt its Grok AI chatbot to digitally undress images of real people without their consent. Investigations will also determine whether these cases included images of children. The company responded by complying with initial requests from the regulators, and revoked Grok's image-generation capabilities for free X users, reserving it only for paid subscribers to the platform. It subsequently widened the restriction to all users. ®

Ireland now also investigating X over Grok-made sexual images

Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), the country's data protection authority, has opened a formal investigation into X over the use of the platform's Grok artificial intelligence tool to generate non-consensual sexual images of real people, including children. The DPC, which also serves as the lead European Union privacy regulator for X due to the company's Irish headquarters, said the inquiry will examine whether X Internet Unlimited Company (X's EU subsidiary) complied with core GDPR obligations, including the principles of lawful processing, data protection by design, and the requirement to conduct data protection impact assessments. "The DPC has been engaging with XIUC since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children," said Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle on Tuesday. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine XIUC's compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand." The Irish investigation joins a growing multinational enforcement effort currently targeting X's Grok AI operations. The UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) launched its own formal investigation on February 3, while the European Commission opened proceedings in January to examine whether X properly assessed risks under the Digital Services Act before deploying Grok. California Attorney General Rob Bonta and UK online safety regulator Ofcom are also investigating X over non-consensual sexually explicit content generated through Grok. French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices two weeks ago as part of a separate criminal probe into whether Grok generated child sexual abuse material and Holocaust denial content. The French authorities have also summoned Elon Musk, CEO Linda Yaccarino, and some X employees for interviews in April. As the lead EU supervisory authority, the DPC's investigation carries particular weight, as its findings could result in substantial fines enforceable across all 27 EU member states and the three European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway). The ICO, as the UK's independent data protection regulator, can also impose fines of up to £17.5 million or 4% of a company's worldwide annual turnover.

Ireland opens probe into Musk's Grok AI over sexualised images

DUBLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said on Tuesday it had opened a formal investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video, including of children. The DPC is the lead EU regulator for X because the U.S. company's European Union operations are based in Ireland. It can levy fines of up to 4% of a company's global revenue under the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The decision to begin the inquiry was notified to X on Monday, the DPC said in a statement and its purpose was to determine whether X had complied with its obligations under GDPR with regard to the personal data processed. Grok flooded X last month with AI-altered, near-nude images of real people in response to user requests, triggering widespread global outrage and investigations. X announced curbs to stop Grok's account on the platform from producing such images, but the Grok chatbot continued to do so when prompted, Reuters found earlier this month. U.S. President Donald Trump and other members of his administration have criticised EU regulation of U.S. tech companies and described fines imposed on them by the 27-member bloc as a form of taxation. X's owner, Elon Musk, who is the world's richest man, has also expressed his objections to EU regulations, mainly those imposed directly by Brussels on online content. "The DPC has been engaging with XIUC (X Internet Unlimited Company) since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children", said Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry, " Doyle said, adding that this would examine XIUC's compliance with some of its "fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand". The European Commission opened an investigation on January 26 into whether Grok disseminates illegal content such as manipulated sexualised images in the EU. And on February 3, Britain's privacy watchdog launched a formal investigation into Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video content. Reporting by Graham Fahy; editing by William James and Alexander Smith Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

Grok faces more scrutiny over deepfakes as Irish regulator opens EU privacy investigation

LONDON (AP) -- Elon Musk's social media platform X faces a European Union privacy investigation after its Grok AI chatbot started spitting out nonconsensual deepfake images, Ireland's data privacy regulator said Tuesday. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it notified X on Monday that it was opening the inquiry under the 27-nation EU's strict data privacy regulations, adding to the scrutiny X is facing in Europe and other parts of the world over Grok's behavior. Grok sparked a global backlash last month after it started granting requests from X users to undress people with its AI image generation and editing capabilities, including putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. The company later introduced some restrictions on Grok, though authorities in Europe weren't satisfied. The Irish watchdog said its investigation focuses on the apparent creation and posting on X of "potentially harmful" nonconsensual intimate or sexualized images containing or involving personal data from Europeans, including children. X did not respond to a request for comment. Grok was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI and is available through X, where its responses to user requests are publicly visible for others to see. The watchdog said the investigation will seek to determine whether X complied with the EU data privacy rules known as GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation. Under the rules, the Irish regulator takes the lead on enforcing the bloc's privacy rules because X's European headquarters is based in Dublin. Violations can result in hefty fines. The regulator "has been engaging" with X since media reports started circulating weeks earlier about "the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement. Earlier this month, French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices and summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning. Meanwhile, the data privacy and media regulators in Britain, which has left the EU, have opened their own investigations into X. The platform is already facing a separate EU investigation from Brussels over whether it has been complying with the bloc's digital rulebook for protecting social media users that requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material.

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. Update: A second investigation has been opened in Ireland, focusing on possible privacy violations. Despite multiple calls for Apple and Google to temporarily remove both X and Grok from the App Store, neither company has yet done so ... 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. 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.

The Grok backlash intensifies - new EU probe investigates whether millions of 'potentially harmful' deepfake images broke data privacy laws

This follows separate investigations from the EU and UK over X deepfakes Elon Musk's X platform (previously known as Twitter) and its Grok AI bot are facing fresh scrutiny over non-consensual and sexualized deepfake content, with Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) announcing an inquiry. As per MarketWatch, the watchdog is investigating whether X has complied with the strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules in the EU, which the Irish regulator is in charge of enforcing on behalf of the 27-nation bloc. In recent weeks, there has been a storm of criticism leveled at X in response to Grok being used to create and post millions of sexualized and revealing images - often based on real photos (some of whom appear to be minors), and used without consent. The DPC says it "has been engaging" with X about the "potential harmful" images since they began circulating at a large scale, although X has made no official comment. The social media platform has previously insisted that necessary safeguards have been put in place, but regulators aren't convinced. This new inquiry adds to a separate EU investigation that's looking at the same problems, but under laws that require platforms to stop the spread of illegal material - which in this case may include child sexual abuse material. The UK, no longer part of the EU, has also launched its own inquiry. There were also raids earlier this month on X offices in Paris by French and EU law enforcement agencies, as part of ongoing investigations that also cover the AI-generated imagery. As the Financial Times reports, X denied any wrongdoing at the time. At the moment it's not clear how long the new inquiry will take, or what the result of it might be, but substantial fines are certainly on the table - if X is found to have been lacking in terms of the data privacy protections it put in place around these images. Grok is powered by xAI, another Elon Musk company, which announced a merger with SpaceX just a few days ago. The AI bot and its capabilities are available to all users, with higher usage limits for those signed up to premium plans.

Ireland's Data Watchdog Joins Global Regulators Probing X Over AI Image Risks - Decrypt

The probe is the latest in a global regulatory wave targeting Grok, with formal actions now open across Europe, the UK, Australia, and the U.S. Ireland's privacy regulator has opened a formal investigation into X over whether Elon Musk's Grok chatbot helped generate and spread non-consensual sexualised images, including of children, adding heat to a widening global crackdown on AI "nudification" tools. The Data Protection Commission (DPC) launched the inquiry into X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC), the EU-registered legal entity through which Elon Musk's social media platform operates in Europe, under Ireland's Data Protection Act 2018, focusing on "the apparent creation, and publication on the X platform, of potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate and/or sexualised images... including children" using Grok's generative AI tools. The watchdog said it notified XIUC of the decision to commence the inquiry and will assess compliance with core GDPR requirements, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, including principles of processing, lawful basis, privacy-by-design, and whether a data protection impact assessment was required. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine XIUC's compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in the statement. The investigation comes as Ireland, which serves as the EU's lead supervisory authority for most major American tech platforms, giving its rulings binding weight across the bloc, joins a widening international response to Grok's role in generating non-consensual deepfakes at scale. The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reported last month that Grok generated an estimated 23,338 sexualized images depicting children, over an 11-day period from December 29 to January 9, and researchers found about one-third of those sampled images remained accessible on X despite the platform's zero-tolerance policies. Following the backlash, X restricted Grok's image generation and editing to paid subscribers, added technical barriers to stop users from digitally manipulating people into revealing clothing, and geoblocked the feature in jurisdictions where such content is illegal. Decrypt has reached out to xAI for comment. In January, the European Commission opened a formal Digital Services Act probe into X over Grok's alleged role in generating and spreading illegal sexualized content. Days later, French authorities raided X's Paris offices in coordination with Europol, summoning Musk and several executives for questioning. In the UK, both Ofcom and the Information Commissioner's Office opened separate investigations, with Ofcom warning it could seek court-backed measures to effectively block X's service if found non-compliant, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would seek new parliamentary powers to bring AI chatbot providers under online safety law. Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said complaints involving Grok and non-consensual AI-generated sexual images have doubled in recent months, and said her office would use its enforcement powers where needed. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a formal investigation into xAI and Grok over the creation and spread of non-consensual sexually explicit AI images of women and children. Earlier this month, UNICEF called AI sexual deepfakes "a profound escalation of the risks children face in the digital environment," saying at least 1.2 million children were targeted last year and urging governments to criminalize AI-generated abuse material and require safety-by-design safeguards.

Ireland investigates Elon Musk's Grok AI over sexualised images

Ireland can levy fines of up to 4 percent of a company's global revenue under EU rules. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it has opened a formal investigation into X's artificial intelligence chatbot Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video, including of children. The Elon Musk company holds its European Union operations in Ireland, and it can levy fines of up to 4 percent of a company's global revenue under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Grok came under fire last year after it built a feature called "Spicy Mode", which allowed users to prompt the chatbot into 'undressing" images of women and posing them in bikinis, creating AI-generated deepfakes with no consent or safeguards. Media analyses also found that Grok often complied when users prompted it to generate sexually suggestive images of minors, including one of a 14-year-old actress, raising alarm bells with global regulators. The European Commission launched formal investigations into Grok in January. Meanwhile, other countries, including the United Kingdom and France, have threatened legal action or opened investigations into Grok. X responded by announcing curbs to stop Grok from producing such images; however, reports indicate the images are still being produced. The DPC has been engaging with XIUC (X Internet Unlimited Company) since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children", said Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry, " Doyle said, adding that this would examine XIUC's compliance with some of its "fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand".

Ireland investigates X over Grok AI 'nudification' debacle

The DPC inquiry wants to find out whether X complied with GDPR. Ireland's data protection watchdog has launched a "large-scale" inquiry into X after reports found millions of non-consensually generated sexually explicit or suggestive content created using Grok AI. X's European headquarters are situated in Dublin. Users on X could prompt Grok to 'nudify' people after the platform outfitted the AI bot with the ability to edit images late last December. Prompts asking Grok to undress people generally affected women and children, analysis found. After severe backlash, X decided to limit the chatbot's image-editing capabilities to paid subscribers on the platform, before geo-blocking Grok's 'nudification' ability in jurisdictions "where it's illegal". However, it seems that such features can still be accessed via a VPN. The Data Protection Commission's (DPC) inquiry wants to find out whether X Internet Unlimited Company (XIUC) complied with its GDPR obligations. Specifically, the lawfulness of data processing, and the legal requirements to carry out a data protection impact assessment with regard to EU data subjects. "The DPC has been engaging with XIUC since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children," said DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle. "The DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine XIUC's compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand". Ireland's inquiry into X comes after the European Commission and the UK government launched a similar investigation into the Elon Musk-owned platform last month. Meanwhile, a year-long inquiry by French authorities has expanded to probe Grok's possible role in disseminating Holocaust denials and sexual deepfakes. California also launched a similar investigation into X and Grok's parent company xAI last month. Alongside this, the EU is continuing 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. Against this backdrop, however, where new legal troubles crop up for X once every while, Musk's space-tech business SpaceX announced that it acquired xAI to create the world's largest private company, estimated to be worth around $1.25trn. 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.

Grok faces more scrutiny over deepfakes as Irish regulator opens EU privacy investigation

LONDON (AP) -- Elon Musk's social media platform X faces a European Union privacy investigation after its Grok AI chatbot started spitting out nonconsensual deepfake images, Ireland's data privacy regulator said Tuesday. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it notified X on Monday that it was opening the inquiry under the 27-nation EU's strict data privacy regulations, adding to the scrutiny X is facing in Europe and other parts of the world over Grok's behavior. Grok sparked a global backlash last month after it started granting requests from X users to undress people with its AI image generation and editing capabilities, including putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. The company later introduced some restrictions on Grok, though authorities in Europe weren't satisfied. The Irish watchdog said its investigation focuses on the apparent creation and posting on X of "potentially harmful" nonconsensual intimate or sexualized images containing or involving personal data from Europeans, including children. X did not respond to a request for comment. Grok was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI and is available through X, where its responses to user requests are publicly visible for others to see. The watchdog said the investigation will seek to determine whether X complied with the EU data privacy rules known as GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation. Under the rules, the Irish regulator takes the lead on enforcing the bloc's privacy rules because X's European headquarters is based in Dublin. Violations can result in hefty fines. The regulator "has been engaging" with X since media reports started circulating weeks earlier about "the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement. Earlier this month, French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices and summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning. Meanwhile, the data privacy and media regulators in Britain, which has left the EU, have opened their own investigations into X. The platform is already facing a separate EU investigation from Brussels over whether it has been complying with the bloc's digital rulebook for protecting social media users that requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material.

Grok Faces More Scrutiny Over Deepfakes as Irish Regulator Opens EU Privacy Investigation

LONDON (AP) -- Elon Musk's social media platform X faces a European Union privacy investigation after its Grok AI chatbot started spitting out nonconsensual deepfake images, Ireland's data privacy regulator said Tuesday. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it notified X on Monday that it was opening the inquiry under the 27-nation EU's strict data privacy regulations, adding to the scrutiny X is facing in Europe and other parts of the world over Grok's behavior. Grok sparked a global backlash last month after it started granting requests from X users to undress people with its AI image generation and editing capabilities, including putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. The company later introduced some restrictions on Grok, though authorities in Europe weren't satisfied. The Irish watchdog said its investigation focuses on the apparent creation and posting on X of "potentially harmful" nonconsensual intimate or sexualized images containing or involving personal data from Europeans, including children. X did not respond to a request for comment. Grok was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI and is available through X, where its responses to user requests are publicly visible for others to see. The watchdog said the investigation will seek to determine whether X complied with the EU data privacy rules known as GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation. Under the rules, the Irish regulator takes the lead on enforcing the bloc's privacy rules because X's European headquarters is based in Dublin. Violations can result in hefty fines. The regulator "has been engaging" with X since media reports started circulating weeks earlier about "the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement. Earlier this month, French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices and summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning. Meanwhile, the data privacy and media regulators in Britain, which has left the EU, have opened their own investigations into X. The platform is already facing a separate EU investigation from Brussels over whether it has been complying with the bloc's digital rulebook for protecting social media users that requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material.

Elon Musk's Grok Faces EU Crackdown As Ireland Opens Formal Investigation Into AI-Generated Sexualized Images

Ireland's privacy regulator has launched a formal probe into Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok, escalating scrutiny over how the tool processes personal data and generates sexualized content on X. Ireland's Data Protection Commission Opens GDPR Inquiry On Tuesday, the Data Protection Commission said it has launched a large-scale investigation into Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot integrated into X, Reuters reported. The probe centers on concerns about how the chatbot processes personal data and its alleged creation of manipulated sexualized images, including those of children. As X's lead regulator in the EU, the Irish watchdog will assess whether the company complied with the bloc's strict privacy rules under the General Data Protection Regulation. GDPR allows fines of up to 4% of a company's global annual revenue for serious violations. AI-Generated Images Spark Global Backlash The inquiry follows reports that Grok generated AI-altered, near-nude images of real people in response to user prompts, triggering widespread criticism. X announced restrictions aimed at curbing the chatbot's ability to produce such material, but concerns persisted. Regulatory pressure is mounting beyond Ireland. The European Commission has also opened a separate investigation into whether Grok disseminates illegal content in the EU, while Britain's privacy watchdog has launched its own probe. Musk, who owns X, has previously criticized European tech regulations. President Donald Trump has also described EU fines on American tech firms as a form of taxation. Meanwhile, on Valentine's Day at the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to reassure European leaders that Washington remains committed to the transatlantic alliance. However, he cautioned that the U.S. could move independently if European nations do not assume more responsibility for their own defense and adjust their approach to global cooperation. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: bella1105 on Shutterstock.com Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.

Grok faces more scrutiny over deepfakes as Irish regulator opens EU privacy investigation - The Korea Times

LONDON -- Elon Musk's social media platform X faces a European Union privacy investigation after its Grok AI chatbot started spitting out nonconsensual deepfake images, Ireland's data privacy regulator said Tuesday. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it notified X on Monday that it was opening the inquiry under the 27-nation EU's strict data privacy regulations, adding to the scrutiny X is facing in Europe and other parts of the world over Grok's behavior. Grok sparked a global backlash last month after it started granting requests from X users to undress people with its AI image generation and editing capabilities, including putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. The company later introduced some restrictions on Grok, though authorities in Europe weren't satisfied. The Irish watchdog said its investigation focuses on the apparent creation and posting on X of "potentially harmful" nonconsensual intimate or sexualized images containing or involving personal data from Europeans, including children. X did not respond to a request for comment. Grok was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI and is available through X, where its responses to user requests are publicly visible for others to see. The watchdog said the investigation will seek to determine whether X complied with the EU data privacy rules known as GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation. Under the rules, the Irish regulator takes the lead on enforcing the bloc's privacy rules because X's European headquarters is based in Dublin. Violations can result in hefty fines. The regulator "has been engaging" with X since media reports started circulating weeks earlier about "the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement. Earlier this month, French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices and summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning. Meanwhile, the data privacy and media regulators in Britain, which has left the EU, have opened their own investigations into X. The platform is already facing a separate EU investigation from Brussels over whether it has been complying with the bloc's digital rulebook for protecting social media users that requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material.

Grok faces more scrutiny over deepfakes as Irish regulator opens EU privacy investigation

LONDON -- Elon Musk's social media platform X faces a European Union privacy investigation after its Grok AI chatbot started spitting out nonconsensual deepfake images, Ireland's data privacy regulator said Tuesday. Ireland's Data Protection Commission said it notified X on Monday that it was opening the inquiry under the 27-nation EU's strict data privacy regulations, adding to the scrutiny X is facing in Europe and other parts of the world over Grok's behaviour. Grok sparked a global backlash last month after it started granting requests from X users to undress people with its AI image generation and editing capabilities, including putting females in transparent bikinis or revealing clothing. Researchers said some images appeared to include children. The company later introduced some restrictions on Grok, though authorities in Europe weren't satisfied. The Irish watchdog said its investigation focuses on the apparent creation and posting on X of "potentially harmful" nonconsensual intimate or sexualized images containing or involving personal data from Europeans, including children. X did not respond to a request for comment. Grok was built by Musk's artificial intelligence company xAI and is available through X, where its responses to user requests are publicly visible for others to see. The watchdog said the investigation will seek to determine whether X complied with the EU data privacy rules known as GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation. Under the rules, the Irish regulator takes the lead on enforcing the bloc's privacy rules because X's European headquarters is based in Dublin. Violations can result in hefty fines. The regulator "has been engaging" with X since media reports started circulating weeks earlier about "the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children," Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said in a press statement. Earlier this month, French prosecutors raided X's Paris offices and summoned billionaire owner Elon Musk for questioning. Meanwhile, the data privacy and media regulators in Britain, which has left the EU, have opened their own investigations into X. The platform is already facing a separate EU investigation from Brussels over whether it has been complying with the bloc's digital rulebook for protecting social media users that requires platforms to curb the spread of illegal content such as child sexual abuse material.

Elon Musk's Grok faces global scrutiny for sexualised AI deepfakes

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Governments and regulators around the world are cracking down on sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk's xAI chatbot Grok on X, launching probes, imposing bans and demanding safeguards in a growing global push to curb illegal material. Here are some reactions from governments and regulators since the start of January: EUROPE The European Commission on January 26 opened an investigation into whether Grok disseminates illegal content such as manipulated sexualised images in the EU. The probe will examine whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks as required under the bloc's digital rules. The Commission had on January 8 extended an order sent to X last year to retain and preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. Ireland's Data Protection Commission opened an investigation into Grok on February 17, examining its handling of personal data and potential to generate harmful sexualized images and videos, including of minors. The DPC oversees X in the EU as the company's European headquarters are in Ireland. Spain's government meanwhile ordered prosecutors to probe X, Meta and TikTok over alleged distribution of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. Britain's media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into X to determine whether sexually intimate deepfakes produced by Grok violated its duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal, under the country's Online Safety Act framework. Paris prosecutor's cybercrime unit raided X's office in Paris on February 3 and ordered Musk to face questions in April regarding a widening investigation over alleged algorithmic bias, complicity in the detention and diffusion of images of child-pornographic nature and the violation of a person's image rights with sexually explicit deepfakes. Italy's data protection authority warned that using AI tools to create "undressed" deepfake imagery of real people without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and, in some cases, criminal offences. ASIA India's IT ministry sent X a formal notice on January 2 over alleged Grok-enabled creation or sharing of obscene sexualised images, directing the content to be taken down and requiring a report on the actions being taken within 72 hours. Japan also probed X over Grok, stating that the government would consider every possible option to prevent the generation of inappropriate images. Indonesia's communications and digital ministry said it had blocked access to Grok, a move digital minister Meutya Hafid said was meant to protect women and children from AI-generated fake pornographic content, citing Indonesia's strict anti-pornography laws. Malaysia restored access to Grok for its users after X implemented additional safety measures, its communications regulator said on January 23. The Philippines will reinstate access to Grok after its developer pledged to remove image-manipulation tools that had sparked child-safety concerns, the country's cybercrime investigation unit said on January 21. AMERICAS California's governor and attorney general said on January 14 they were demanding answers from xAI amid the spread of non-consensual sexual images on the platform. Canada's privacy watchdog said it was widening an existing investigation into X after reports that Grok was generating non-consensual, sexually explicit deepfakes. Brazil's government and federal prosecutors gave xAI 30 days to prevent the chatbot from spreading fake sexualised content, according to a joint statement on January 20. OCEANIA Australia's online-safety regulator eSafety said on January 7 it was investigating Grok-generated sexualised deepfake images, assessing adult material under its image-based abuse scheme and noting current child-related examples it had reviewed did not meet the legal threshold for child sexual abuse material under Australian law. HOW HAS xAI RESPONDED? xAI said on January 14 it 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. It had earlier limited the use of Grok's image generation and editing features only to paying subscribers. (Reporting by Hugo Lhomedet in Gdansk and Sam Tabahriti in London, editing by Milla Nissi-Prussak, Matt Scuffham and Anna Pruchnicka)

Ireland opens probe into Musk's Grok AI over sexualised images

DUBLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) said on Tuesday it had opened a formal investigation into X's AI chatbot Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video, including of children. The DPC is the lead EU regulator for X because the U.S. company's European Union operations are based in Ireland. It can levy fines of up to 4% of a company's global revenue under the bloc's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The decision to begin the inquiry was notified to X on Monday, the DPC said in a statement and its purpose was to determine whether X had complied with its obligations under GDPR with regard to the personal data processed. Grok flooded X last month with AI-altered, near-nude images of real people in response to user requests, triggering widespread global outrage and investigations. X announced curbs to stop Grok's account on the platform from producing such images, but the Grok chatbot continued to do so when prompted, Reuters found earlier this month. U.S. President Donald Trump and other members of his administration have criticised EU regulation of U.S. tech companies and described fines imposed on them by the 27-member bloc as a form of taxation. X's owner, Elon Musk, who is the world's richest man, has also expressed his objections to EU regulations, mainly those imposed directly by Brussels on online content. "The DPC has been engaging with XIUC (X Internet Unlimited Company) since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children", said Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. "As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large-scale inquiry, " Doyle said, adding that this would examine XIUC's compliance with some of its "fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand". The European Commission opened an investigation on January 26 into whether Grok disseminates illegal content such as manipulated sexualised images in the EU. And on February 3, Britain's privacy watchdog launched a formal investigation into Grok over the processing of personal data and its potential to produce harmful sexualised images and video content. (Reporting by Graham Fahy; editing by William James and Alexander Smith)