Elon Musk's social media site X is currently undergoing a privacy investigation by the European Union after its Grok AI chatbot began generating nonconsensual deepfake images, according to the Irish data privacy authority on Tuesday.
The Data Protection Commission of Ireland announced that it informed X on Monday about the commencement of the inquiry under the stringent data privacy laws of the 27-member EU, which adds to the growing scrutiny X is encountering in Europe and globally regarding Grok’s actions.
Last month, Grok triggered international criticism when it began fulfilling requests from X users for AI-generated images that depicted individuals in less clothing, including women in see-through bikinis or revealing outfits. Some researchers noted that some of these images seemed to involve children.
Although the company subsequently implemented certain limitations on Grok, European authorities were not content with the measures taken. The Irish regulatory body indicated that its examination centers on the apparent creation and dissemination on X of “potentially harmful” nonconsensual intimate or sexualized imagery containing or involving personal data from individuals in Europe, including minors.
Requests for comments from X went unanswered. Grok, developed by Musk's xAI company, can be accessed via X, where the responses generated for user requests can be seen publicly. The regulatory authority stated that the investigation aims to assess whether X adhered to the EU data privacy guidelines known as GDPR, or the General Data Protection Regulation.
The Irish regulator is in charge of enforcing these privacy regulations since X’s European headquarters is located in Dublin. Breaches could lead to significant financial penalties. The regulator has “been engaging” with X since reports emerged weeks ago concerning “the supposed capability of X users to prompt the @Grok account on X to produce sexualized imagery of real individuals,
including children,” remarked Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle in a press release. Spanish authorities have instructed prosecutors to investigate X, Meta, and TikTok regarding alleged offenses connected to the creation and distribution of AI-generated materials depicting child sexual abuse on their platforms, as stated by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Tuesday.
Sánchez expressed on X that “these platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our sons and daughters.” Earlier this month, Spain indicated that it planned to impose restrictions on access to social media sites for individuals under 16 years of age. X,
Meta, and TikTok representatives did not promptly reply to inquiries concerning the Spanish investigation. In the same month, French investigators conducted a raid on X's offices in Paris and summoned Musk for inquiry.
Meanwhile, media and data privacy regulators in the UK, which is no longer part of the EU, have initiated their investigations into X.
The platform is already facing a separate investigation from Brussels to determine its compliance with the EU's digital regulations designed to safeguard social media users by requiring platforms to limit the spread of illegal materials such as child sexual abuse content.
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