The European Commission has launched an investigation into Elon Musk's X over concerns its AI tool Grok was used to create sexualised images of real people.
It follows a similar announcement in January from the UK watchdog Ofcom.
If the site is found to have breached the rules of the EU's Digital Services Act, the Commission could fine the company up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
A previous statement from X's Safety account indicated that the social media platform had halted Grok from digitally altering pictures of people to remove their clothing in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.
Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament from Ireland, mentioned that the Commission would evaluate if manipulated sexually explicit images have been displayed to users in the EU.
Campaigners and victims have condemned the tool's capacity to produce explicit images, with Ofcom asserting its investigation remains active.
The EU regulatory body may impose interim measures if X fails to implement significant changes.
Moreover, the EU has expanded its ongoing inquiry, initiated in December 2023, regarding risks associated with X's recommender systems.
Before the announcement, Elon Musk posted a picture on X on Monday, seemingly trivializing the new restrictions related to Grok.
On Sunday, the Grok account claimed that over 5.5 billion images were generated by the tool in merely 30 days.
'Unacceptable form of degradation'
There are ongoing investigations into the platform's chatbot in Australia, France, and Germany. Grok was briefly banned in Indonesia and Malaysia, although the latter has since lifted the ban.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy at the Commission, labeled the sexual deepfakes as a violent, unacceptable form of degradation.
With this investigation, the Commission aims to ascertain whether X has fulfilled its legal responsibilities under the DSA, or if it has treated the rights of European citizens—especially women and children—merely as collateral damage.
Doherty further stated there are serious questions about whether platforms like X are adequately managing risks and preventing the spread of harmful content.
The European Union maintains explicit guidelines to safeguard individuals online, and these regulations must be enforced, especially with powerful technologies in wide use.
This announcement comes just a month after the EU fined X €120m (£105m) for misleading users about its blue tick badges, which the EU claimed did not ensure meaningful verification of account ownership.
In reaction, US officials criticized the EU's regulatory moves as an attack on American tech firms, asserting that the fine represents a broader issue against US interests abroad.
