The European Commission opened an investigation on Monday into Elon Musk's social media platform X and its AI chatbot Grok. Regulators want to know if the platform failed to stop the spread of manipulated sexually explicit images, including those of women and children, across the European Union. The move comes after reports that users could easily generate such images with basic text commands. This action builds on earlier scrutiny of X under EU digital rules.
Background
X, once called Twitter, has faced repeated questions from EU officials over how it handles content online. Back in December 2023, the Commission started looking into the platform for issues like illegal posts and misleading information. That probe led to a 120-million-euro fine last December. The penalty came because X broke transparency rules, such as how it uses blue checkmarks for accounts and shares public data with researchers.
Now, the focus has shifted to Grok, an AI tool built by Musk's company xAI and integrated into X. Users have access to Grok to create images from text descriptions. In recent weeks, people found they could ask Grok to alter photos of real women and even children into sexualized versions. Simple prompts like 'put her in a bikini' or 'remove her clothes' worked without much trouble. This sparked anger worldwide, with watchdogs pointing out the dangers to privacy and safety.
A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate, a group that tracks online harms, said Grok made around three million such images in just a few days. That estimate came from tests they ran last week. The problem grew so big that X added some limits in mid-January. For example, it now blocks edits to images of real people in revealing clothes and restricts image creation to paying users only. But EU officials say these steps may not go far enough.
The wider context involves growing clashes between the EU and US tech firms. Brussels has pushed hard on the Digital Services Act, a law from 2022 that sets strict duties for big online platforms. It requires them to check for risks like illegal content and protect users from harm. X has clashed with these rules before, and this new probe widens the ongoing case. Tensions run high with the US government too, as leaders there push back against what they see as overreach. Issues like trade, security aid, and other tech rules add to the strain between the two sides.
Key Details
The Commission named Henna Virkkunen, its tech policy lead, to oversee the probe. She said the review will check if X met its duties to spot and cut systemic risks. Those risks include sharing illegal material in the EU, like changed explicit images that could count as child abuse content.
How Grok Works and What Went Wrong
Grok lets users type in ideas, and it spits out pictures based on them. At first, safeguards were weak. People shared examples online of Grok turning normal photos into ones showing nudity or skimpy outfits. Some targets were celebrities, everyday women from news photos, and worse, images of kids. The ease of it all raised alarms about non-consent and real-world damage. Victims of these deepfakes often face harassment or worse.
After complaints poured in, X made changes. It stopped Grok from editing real people's images into bikinis or similar. Paid accounts only can now make images, aiming to slow abuse. But researchers say gaps remain, and old images still float around.
"In Europe, we will not tolerate unthinkable behaviour, such as digital undressing of women and children. It is simple – we will not hand over consent and child protection to tech companies to violate and monetize. The harm caused by illegal images is very real." – Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President
Virkkunen added that women and children's rights cannot become side effects of platform features. The probe does not assume guilt yet; it will gather facts from X and others.
What This Means
For X, the stakes are high. If found wanting, it could face bigger fines, up to 6% of global sales, or orders to change its systems. The DSA gives the Commission power to act fast on threats to public safety. This case tests how far AI tools must go to block harm before it spreads.
Users in the EU might see tighter controls on Grok soon. Platforms overall face pressure to build better AI guards against deepfakes. These fake images fool people and cause pain, from ruined reputations to fueling bad acts offline. Groups fighting online abuse say this probe sets a marker for others like Meta or Google.
Musk has spoken out before on EU rules, calling them speech curbs. X must now report its risk checks and fixes to regulators. The review could take months, with talks, document requests, and maybe site visits. Meanwhile, global eyes watch as the US and EU balance tech freedom with safety nets.
Broader effects touch child protection laws. EU states already ban abuse images, and AI makes making them easier. This pushes for new rules on generative tools. Watchdogs hope it leads to standards that work across borders. For everyday people, it highlights how fast tech can cross lines, even with good intentions behind tools like Grok meant for fun and help.
