EU Privacy Watchdog Launches ‘Large-Scale’ Probe Into Elon Musk’s X Over Grok AI Deepfakes

 EU Privacy Watchdog Launches ‘Large-Scale’ Inquiry Into Elon Musk’s X Over Grok AI Deepfakes

The legal walls are closing in on Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, as European regulators escalate their crackdown on AI-generated harmful content. On Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced a “large-scale” investigation into the platform following a global outcry over sexualized deepfake images produced by its AI chatbot, Grok.

The probe focuses on whether X violated the European Union’s strict General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Specifically, regulators are questioning how the personal data of EU citizens was used—or misused—to generate non-consensual intimate imagery, including depictions of women and children.

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A Global Regulatory Firestorm

Ireland's move is the latest in a rapid-fire series of legal actions across Europe. As X’s lead privacy regulator in the EU, the DPC has the power to levy massive fines—up to 4% of the company's annual global turnover.

   "The DPC has been engaging with X since reports first emerged concerning the ability of users to prompt Grok to generate sexualised images of real people," said Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle. "This inquiry will examine X’s compliance with its fundamental obligations under the GDPR."

The investigation follows a month of intense scrutiny:

• France: Earlier this month, police raided X’s offices in Paris. Prosecutors have summoned Elon Musk for questioning in April regarding "complicity" in the dissemination of child sexual abuse material and Holocaust denial.

• United Kingdom: The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and Ofcom have launched parallel investigations into X and its AI subsidiary, xAI, over the potential for Grok to produce "harmful and demeaning" content.

• European Commission: A separate probe is already underway under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to determine if X failed to mitigate systemic risks to public safety and mental well-being.

The controversy stems from Grok’s image-generation and editing features, which researchers claim were used to create over 3 million sexualized images in less than two weeks. Reports suggest that even after X implemented "guardrails," the AI could still be manipulated to "undress" real individuals via specific prompts.

Elon Musk has dismissed the investigations as "political attacks" and "baseless." However, the platform recently merged into SpaceX, a move analysts say could expose Musk’s more profitable aerospace ventures to the financial fallout of X’s mounting legal battles.

Source: Internet