Elon Musk’s X facing new EU probes

Ireland and Spain have announced investigations amid reports that AI chatbot Grok produced intimate and pedophilic images

Two new investigations have been announced in the EU into Elon Musk’s social media platform X amid reports that its AI chatbot Grok produced sexualized images of real people, including children.

Grok, developed by Musk’s AI venture xAI and integrated into X, has come under global scrutiny since its launch in 2023. Critics have raised concerns over extremist rhetoric, political bias, and sexually explicit features, warning that poorly moderated AI tools can expose users, particularly teenagers, to harmful content.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission opened an inquiry into X on Tuesday, stating it will examine whether the company breached EU data protection rules by allowing the creation of “non-consensual intimate and/or sexualized images.”

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also ordered prosecutors on Tuesday to probe X, along with Meta and TikTok, over alleged “creation and dissemination of child pornography using their AI.” He concluded: “The impunity of the giants must end.”

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The announcements follow a broader crackdown by European regulators on Big Tech firms, which face allegations of widespread abusive practices on online platforms, from anti-competitive conduct in digital advertising to the deliberate design of addictive features on social media.

X is also under investigation in France and the UK. Italy has issued a warning that using AI tools to create “undressed” deepfake imagery without consent could amount to serious privacy violations and criminal offenses.

xAI's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits depicting persons in a pornographic manner and the sexualization of children. However, in a recent “digital undressing” trend, users have publicly tagged the bot and commanded it to edit photos.

READ MORE: EU targets ‘addictive’ TikTok

Researchers at the Center for Countering Digital Hate said Grok produced nearly three million sexualized images in less than two weeks, around 23,000 of which appeared to depict children.

X issued a statement last month saying it is committed to keeping the platform “safe” and maintains “zero tolerance” for child sexual exploitation, non-consensual nudity, and unwanted sexual content.