Europe's Privacy Watchdog Investigates Elon Musk's X over Sexual Deepfakes

The European Union’s data privacy authority has initiated a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, following the emergence of sexualized images generated by its AI chatbot, Grok. The inquiry is part of increasing scrutiny from various regulatory bodies across Europe, amid public outrage over the content produced by the platform. Last month, thousands of sexualized deepfake images were reportedly created using Grok, affecting mainly women and children. This led to a significant backlash and subsequent investigations in France and the United Kingdom targeting X's handling of personal data within the EU. Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC), responsible for enforcing the GDPR, announced its "large-scale" inquiry into X to determine whether the platform has adhered to the EU's data privacy regulations. According to Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle, the DPC has been in communication with X since media coverage highlighted the troubling capability of Grok to generate sexualized images of real individuals, including minors. Doyle stated, "The DPC has been engaging with X since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to generate sexualized images of real people, including children." The investigation aims to assess X's compliance with fundamental obligations under the GDPR in light of these developments. The growing concern prompted X to limit Grok's ability to produce explicit images, a response to mounting governmental pressure that included threats of fines and operational restrictions. In addition to the EU's efforts, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office has also announced investigations into X and its AI subsidiary, xAI. These investigations will focus on "their processing of personal data in relation to the Grok artificial intelligence system and its potential to produce harmful sexualized image and video content." In a further escalation, X's offices in Paris have been subject to police raids as part of an expanding inquiry into the operations of Grok. Musk himself has reportedly been summoned for questioning regarding the matter. In response to these allegations, X's global government affairs team has denied any misconduct, labeling the claims that led to the raid as "baseless." The investigations into X are part of a broader scrutiny of artificial intelligence systems and their regulation in the EU, especially concerning user safety and content moderation. As the controversy unfolds, the implications for social media platforms and AI usage worldwide remain profound, particularly as countries like the UK are implementing strict laws to ensure that AI technologies comply with standards aimed at protecting individuals from illegal content. On Monday, the UK announced plans to mandate AI chatbots, including Grok, to adhere to these new regulations.