European Commission investigates Grok over sexual AI images
The European Commission has launched a new in-depth investigation into Grok, the AI platform of social media site X, it announced on Monday. The probe focuses on Grok's ability to create manipulated sexually explicit images of people, including minors, without their consent.
The Commission will now gather evidence by requesting information from the company and, if necessary, carrying out inspections. Earlier this month, it instructed X to preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok until the end of 2026. Temporary measures could be imposed if the platform fails to adapt its services.
"Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent and unacceptable form of degradation," said European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen. "With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the DSA, or whether it has treated the rights of European citizens as collateral damage of its service."
"Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent and unacceptable form of degradation"
Investigations have been launched in several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Indonesia and Malaysia. Earlier this month, Belgium’s minister for Digitalisation, Vanessa Matz, asked the national telecoms regulator BIPT to alert the European Commission about the images. "Innovation cannot be an excuse to abandon regulation," Matz said at the time.
X has said it is blocking its AI assistant from editing images of real people to make them appear in "bikinis, underwear or similar clothing", but only in jurisdictions where such practices are illegal.
Expanded investigation
Alongside the new probe, the Commission has expanded an investigation that has been under way since 2023 into whether the company has properly assessed the systemic risks posed by its services in the EU. Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), major online platforms are required to carry out such risk assessments.
In December, the Commission imposed a million fine of 120 million euros on X for breaching transparency obligations under the DSA. It marked the first penalty imposed under the new rules and prompted sharp criticism from the US government.
PHOTO © Nicolas TUCAT / AFP
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