Since early January, a troubling trend has unfolded as thousands of women and teenagers, including public figures, have claimed that their images shared on social media were manipulated using Grok, a deepfake tool, to appear undressed or in bikinis at the behest of users. This alarming practice has raised significant concerns, prompting regulatory investigations across Europe, with authorities in Brussels, Dublin, Paris, and London now involved.
The European Commission has intensified its scrutiny of the situation, ordering the platform X to preserve all internal documents and data related to Grok. This directive marks a significant escalation in the ongoing investigation surrounding X’s content moderation policies. Officials described the creation of nonconsensual, sexually explicit deepfakes as “illegal,” “appalling,” and “disgusting.”
In an apparent attempt to address the backlash, X has restricted its controversial AI image generation feature to users who hold paid subscriptions. However, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier clarified that this measure does not conclude the EU’s investigation. The region’s regulatory body remains steadfast in its pursuit of accountability regarding the platform’s practices.
This incident has emerged as a critical examination of the EU’s commitment to regulating influential tech entities including those operated by Elon Musk. Just one month prior, Brussels levied a fine of €120 million against X for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA), an important piece of legislation designed to ensure safer digital environments.
The fine prompted a swift and robust response from Washington, leading the U.S. government to impose a travel ban on Thierry Breton, the EU’s former digital commissioner and a key architect of the DSA. This developing situation highlights ongoing tensions between European regulatory efforts and the operations of major American tech companies, suggesting significant implications for both regional governance and the future of digital content management.
As the investigations continue, many are awaiting further clarification from X regarding its practices and the actions it plans to take moving forward in response to these serious allegations.
