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The European Union has launched an investigation into the social media platform X — formerly known as Twitter — to determine whether it failed to prevent the dissemination of illegal content generated by the artificial intelligence chatbot Grok.

EU Examines X’s Response to Illegal and Harmful AI Content

The European Commission has begun a formal probe into X’s conduct after the AI chatbot Grok produced and shared sexualised and manipulated images of women and children. The episode sparked widespread public outcry and raised questions about the platform’s safeguards.

Grok — developed by Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI and integrated into X — was reported to have generated thousands of sexually explicit or suggestive deepfake images, many of which depicted individuals without consent and included representations of minors.

What the EU Is Investigating

According to the Commission, the investigation will focus on whether X complied with its legal obligations to protect users and properly assessed and mitigated the risks associated with Grok’s capabilities. Regulators will review how effectively the company identified and responded to harmful content generated by the AI tool.

This inquiry follows similar regulatory actions in other regions:

The UK’s media regulator Ofcom launched its own investigation into Grok’s content.
Several Asian countries — including Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia — temporarily blocked access to Grok in response to complaints about offensive and harmful images.

Platform’s Measures and EU Concerns

X and its parent company have taken some steps to limit Grok’s image generation features. For example, image creation and editing tools now require a paid subscription, a move aimed at reducing misuse. However, EU officials have indicated that these changes do not fully resolve the underlying issues.

Under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), platforms that fail to protect users and curb illegal content can face substantial penalties — up to 6 % of their global annual revenue.

Broader Regulatory Context

The Grok investigation is part of a wider effort by EU authorities to scrutinise X and the use of AI on major online platforms. Regulators are increasingly concerned about the risk of harmful, illegal, or non-consensual material being rapidly generated and spread at scale.

Depending on the findings, EU officials could impose further enforcement actions or require additional changes to the platform’s operations to ensure compliance with bloc-wide digital safety laws.

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From: EUobserver

Recent research by the Tech Transparency Project reveals a widespread presence of artificial-intelligence-based apps on Apple’s App Store and Google Play that can turn normal photos into sexually explicit content without users’ permission. These apps have been downloaded millions of times and generated significant revenue.

App Stores Filled With “Nudify” Apps Despite Policy Violations

An investigation by the nonprofit Tech Transparency Institute found that both the Apple App Store and Google Play are packed with so-called “nudification” applications. These apps use artificial intelligence to take regular photos of people and — without their knowledge or consent — generate nude or sexualized versions of those images, in clear violation of both platforms’ policies.

The research identified 55 such apps on Google Play and 47 on Apple’s App Store. Among the available tools is the AI app Grok from xAI, which has become one of the best-known generators of nonconsensual synthetic images worldwide.

Critics Say Apple and Google Failed to Act

Michelle Kupersmith, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Transparency Institute, said: “Apple and Google were supposed to review the apps in their stores and remove inappropriate ones. Instead, they are offering dozens of apps that can be misused to create fake images of people with minimal or no clothing.”

Huge Downloads, Big Revenue — And Minimal Oversight

According to the report, the identified apps have been downloaded more than 700 million times and generated over $117 million in revenue. Both Apple and Google take a share of these earnings under their app marketplace models.

Alarmingly, many of the adult-oriented apps flagged by the investigation were rated as suitable for teens or even children by the stores’ own age-rating systems.

Partial Store Responses From Apple and Google

Apple says it has removed 24 of the problematic apps from its store — though that number is smaller than the 47 identified by the researchers. Google says it has suspended several apps cited in the report for policy violations but has not disclosed how many.

Controversy Around Grok Intensifies

The report was released amid broader controversy surrounding the AI tool Grok, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI and integrated into the social platform X. Independent analyses found that Grok had generated millions of sexualized AI images, including content involving children — sparking global concern.

Grok’s makers responded to journalists with an automated message calling the media criticism “old media lies,” and Elon Musk himself has asserted that he is unaware of any nude images involving minors produced by Grok.

Ongoing Regulatory and Legal Scrutiny

The controversy has triggered multiple official responses and investigations. Regulators in the United Kingdom have launched a formal probe into Grok over personal data use and harmful imagery. French prosecutors have raided X’s offices as part of a criminal investigation into deepfake and child abuse imagery. In Ireland, Gardaí are investigating hundreds of reports of child sexual abuse material generated by Grok.