The European Commission has launched a wide-reaching investigation into Grok chatbot on Elon Musk’s X social media platform.

The probe was opened under the EU’s Digital Services Act, which requires Big Tech companies to do more to tackle illegal and harmful online content.

The probe follows global outrage over its ability to generate sexually explicit images, including of children. The scandal erupted at the end of last year when the AI chatbot churned out a barrage of digitally undressed images of women and children in response to requests from users.

The global outcry that followed was met by an initial announcement by X that the tool would be limited to paying subscribers, but the company eventually prevented all users from using Grok to create images of real people in revealing clothing.

In a statement, the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said that the investigation would examine whether X “properly assessed and mitigated risks associated with the deployment of Grok’s functionalities into X in the EU.”

This includes risks related to the dissemination of illegal content in the EU, such as manipulated sexually explicit images, including content that may amount to child sexual abuse material.

The statement added that these risks seem to have materialised, exposing citizens in the EU to serious harm. In light of this, the Commission will further investigate whether X complies with its DSA obligations to diligently assess and mitigate systemic risks, including of the dissemination of illegal content, negative effects in relation to gender-based violence, and serious negative consequences to physical and mental well-being stemming from deployments of Grok’s functionalities into its platform.

The Commission will also investigate whether X complies with its DSA obligations to conduct and transmit to the Commission an ad hoc risk assessment report for Grok’s functionalities in the X service with a critical impact on X’s risk profile prior to their deployment.

Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy said in the statement, “Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation.”

“With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations… or whether it treated rights of European citizens – including those of women and children – as collateral damage of its service.”
Henna Virkkunen

In a briefing for journalists, an European Commission official acknowledged the measures taken by X so far but said the company had not properly assessed the risks before launching the chatbot.

No Timeline For Completing Grok Probe

There is no timeline for completing the probe nor any indication of what action the European Commision might take based on its findings.

According to the statement, the Commission will continue to gather evidence, for example by sending additional requests for information, conducting interviews or inspections, and may impose interim measures in the absence of meaningful adjustments to the X service.

It added that the opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps, such as adopting a non-compliance decision, noting that the Commission is also empowered to accept any commitment made by X to remedy the matters subject to the proceeding.

The EU hit the social media platform with a fine of around $140 million in December, saying the “deceptive design” of its blue verification checkmark and other features violated the Digital Services Act.

At the time, Musk called the fine “crazy.” When asked whether the fine had been paid, the unnamed EU official said it had not but that the company still had time to settle it.

Earlier this month, California Attorney General Rob Bonta also announced an investigation into the “proliferation of non-consensual sexually explicit material produced using Grok.”

Grok is still banned in Indonesia and Malaysia as a result of the image generation controversy. UK regulator Ofcom has also launched a formal investigation into X.