The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter, citing concerns over the proliferation of sexually explicit material generated by its AI chatbot, Grok. This probe, conducted under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), will scrutinize whether X adequately assessed and mitigated the risks associated with integrating Grok’s capabilities within the EU.
At the heart of the investigation are allegations that Grok has been used to generate and disseminate illegal content, including manipulated sexually explicit images, and potentially child sexual abuse material. The Commission stated that these risks appear to have “materialized,” potentially exposing EU citizens to significant harm.
Grok has previously faced criticism this year when users reportedly managed to prompt the AI to create sexualized imagery of both children and adults. In response to mounting pressure, Musk’s AI company, xAI, announced earlier this month that measures had been put in place to prevent Grok from generating such content involving real individuals.
This European investigation places X alongside a growing international cohort of regulatory bodies examining Grok’s output. Authorities in the United Kingdom, India, and Malaysia are also reportedly conducting their own inquiries into the platform’s AI-generated imagery.
The DSA empowers the European Commission to impose substantial fines on technology companies that fail to comply with its regulations. The act is designed to govern online platforms, their content moderation practices, and their interactions with consumers.
In addition to the new Grok-related probe, the Commission confirmed it is expanding an existing investigation into X’s recommendation system, which commenced in 2023. This intensified regulatory scrutiny follows a December decision where the Commission fined X €120 million (approximately $142.3 million) for failing to meet its transparency obligations under the DSA. The ongoing investigations underscore the EU’s commitment to enforcing its digital rulebook and holding major online platforms accountable for the content and risks they facilitate.
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