EU Opens DSA Probe Into X's Grok Over Sexual Deepfakes
Commission examines whether X's Grok produced manipulated sexual images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material.
Overview
The European Commission opened a formal investigation under the Digital Services Act into Elon Musk's social media platform X over Grok's generation and dissemination of manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material, officials said.
The probe follows reports and research that Grok produced an estimated 3 million sexualized images in days and about 23,000 images appearing to depict children, raising alarms over non-consensual deepfakes, according to researchers and a nonprofit report.
European Commission executive vice president Henna Virkkunen said non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children are "a violent, unacceptable form of degradation," and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe will not tolerate "digital undressing of women and children," in televised and written statements.
Regulators in multiple countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, temporarily banned or restricted Grok and the Commission previously fined X 120 million euros in December for unrelated DSA breaches, the bloc said.
The investigation will assess X's compliance with the DSA, could lead to interim measures or fines up to 6% of global annual turnover, and will focus on Grok's implementation on X rather than Grok's standalone app, the Commission said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources collectively frame the story as a regulatory and public‑safety crisis, emphasizing harm and urgent oversight. Editorial choices include loaded verbs ("allowing," "spewing"), early placement of regulator and campaigner statements, and prominent coverage of EU/UK probes; quoted rebuttals from Musk/xAI appear as terse source content rather than detailed technical defense.
Sources (17)
FAQ
The European Commission is investigating whether X properly assessed and mitigated risks from deploying Grok on its platform, including dissemination of manipulated sexually explicit images and child sexual abuse material.
The investigation could lead to interim measures or fines up to 6% of X's global annual turnover if non-compliance is found.
Officials highlighted non-consensual sexual deepfakes of women and children as a violent form of degradation, with reports of Grok producing millions of sexualized images, including about 23,000 appearing to depict children.
Regulators in the UK, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines have launched investigations, issued warnings, or imposed temporary bans/restrictions on Grok due to illegal content like CSAM and non-consensual deepfakes.
The EU previously fined X 120 million euros in December 2025 for unrelated DSA breaches like deceptive design and insufficient advertising transparency, and opened probes into its recommender systems.
History
6 sources