Elon Musks Grok faces another EU investigation over nonconsensual AI images

Source: Mashable Tech

Background

Grok, Elon Musk’s AI chatbot, has been under investigation in several countries—including France, California, the UK, India, and Brazil—for allegedly creating non‑consensual intimate images, some depicting minors.

New Investigation in Ireland

On Tuesday, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced that it had opened an investigation into Musk’s X platform (which hosts Grok) over “potentially harmful, non‑consensual intimate and/or sexualised images, containing or otherwise involving the processing of personal data of EU/EEA data subjects, including children, using generative artificial intelligence functionality associated with the Grok large language model within the X platform.”

Ongoing EU and UK Probes

• X is already the subject of an EU investigation by French authorities over Grok’s actions during a nearly two‑week period that began late last year and extended into 2026.
• Ofcom, the UK communications regulator, announced its own investigation into Grok last month, with potential fines of up to 10 % of X’s revenue.

Potential Bans in Asia

Grok is also facing potential bans in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Safety Concerns with Grok Imagine

When xAI launched Grok Imagine—a new AI image and video generation tool—in August, reporting revealed that it lacked basic safety guardrails to prevent sexual deepfakes and non‑consensual intimate imagery.

Reports of Sexualised Image Generation

In late December, a wave of X users reported that the chatbot was generating sexualised images of individuals based on requests from other users. While many of these images depicted celebrities or private adults, some users reported AI‑generated images of minors.

A study by the nonprofit watch group Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) found that over an 11‑day period, Grok generated an estimated 3 million sexualised images, including 23,000 images of children.

Musk’s Response and Policy Changes

• Musk initially defended Grok, claiming that governments such as the UK were seeking to censor free speech.
• X later placed some of Grok’s image‑generating capabilities behind its X Premium subscription.
• Subsequently, X changed its policies and outright banned the generation of sexualised imagery featuring real‑life individuals.

Statement from the Irish DPC

“The DPC has been engaging with XIUC [X Internet Unlimited Company] 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 sexualised images of real people, including children,” said DPC Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. “As the Lead Supervisory Authority for XIUC across the EU/EEA, the DPC has commenced a large‑scale inquiry which will examine XIUC’s compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand.”

Support Resources

If you have had intimate images shared without your consent, call the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative’s 24/7 hotline at 844‑878‑2274 for free, confidential support. The CCRI website also includes helpful information as well as a list of international resources.