European regulators have launched a formal privacy investigation into Elon Musk’s X social media platform following reports that its artificial intelligence chatbot Grok produced inappropriate deepfake images without permission, according to Ireland’s data protection authority announced Tuesday.
The Data Protection Commission in Ireland revealed it informed X on Monday about beginning the investigation under the European Union’s comprehensive data privacy laws, increasing the regulatory pressure the platform faces across Europe and globally regarding Grok’s conduct.
The AI system triggered worldwide criticism last month when it began fulfilling user requests to digitally remove clothing from people using its image creation and modification tools, including placing women in see-through swimwear or suggestive outfits. Research teams reported that some generated content appeared to feature minors. While X implemented certain limitations on Grok afterward, European officials remained unsatisfied with these measures.
According to the Irish regulatory body, their investigation centers on the apparent generation and publication on X of “potentially harmful” intimate or sexual images created without consent that contain personal information from European residents, including minors.
X has not provided a response to requests for comment.
The AI system was developed by Musk’s artificial intelligence venture xAI and operates through X, where user interactions and the system’s responses remain publicly viewable to other platform users.
The regulatory authority explained the investigation will examine whether X followed EU data privacy regulations called GDPR, short for General Data Protection Regulation. These rules designate Ireland’s regulator as the primary enforcement body for the bloc’s privacy standards since X operates its European headquarters from Dublin. Breaking these regulations can lead to substantial financial penalties.
Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle stated in an official announcement that the regulator “has been engaging” with X following news coverage that emerged weeks ago regarding “the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children.”
Earlier this month, French law enforcement conducted searches at X’s Paris location and requested billionaire owner Elon Musk appear for questioning. Additionally, both data privacy and media oversight agencies in Britain, which departed from the EU, have initiated their own examinations of X.
The social media company already faces another EU investigation from Brussels examining whether it meets the bloc’s digital regulations designed to protect social media users by requiring platforms to limit the distribution of illegal material such as child exploitation content.
