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.
Regina Doherty, a member of the European parliament representing Ireland, stated the Commission would assess whether manipulated sexually explicit images have been shown to users in the EU.
A previous statement from X's Safety account revealed that the platform had stopped Grok from digitally altering pictures of individuals to remove their clothing in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.
However, campaigners and victims assert that the ability to generate sexually explicit images using the tool should have never happened in the first place, and Ofcom confirmed its ongoing investigation.
The EU regulator warned it may impose interim measures if X hesitates to implement meaningful adjustments.
Furthermore, the Commission has extended its investigation initiated in December 2023 regarding risks linked to X's recommender systems—the algorithms recommending specific posts to users.
Just before the Commission's announcement, Elon Musk posted on X about the new restrictions imposed on Grok.
Previously, Musk criticized scrutiny around the app's capabilities, especially from the UK government, branding it any excuse for censorship.
As reported by Grok's account on X, more than 5.5 billion images were generated by the tool within just 30 days.
In a statement to Reuters, Doherty expressed serious doubts about whether platforms like X fulfill legal obligations to thoroughly assess risks and prevent the dissemination of illegal and harmful content.
The European Union has clear rules to safeguard individuals online, she reiterated, emphasizing that these rules must be upheld, especially when potent technologies operate on a large scale.
No company operating within the EU is above the law, she stated.
A spokesperson from Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland's media regulator, welcomed the recent developments, stating, There is no place in our society for non-consensual intimate imagery abuse or child sexual abuse material.
This announcement follows last month's decision by the EU to fine X €120m (£105m) for deceptive practices with its blue tick badges, claiming the company was not adequately verifying the identities behind its accounts.
In retaliation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) accused the EU of attacking and censoring American companies, with Rubio asserting that the Commission's actions aren't just an attack on X, but on all American tech platforms—a sentiment echoed by Musk.
