The legal pressure on Elon Musk’s X, is mounting as Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a “large-scale” investigation into the social media company, focusing on how its AI chatbot, Grok, handles sensitive user data to generate non-consensual sexual photos. The latest action against the company follows a series of high-profile raids and investigations across France and the UK, respectively. Both countries have previously warned xAI Grok to create harmful photos of real people, including children.
“The DPC has been engaging with X since reports emerged of users prompting Grok to generate sexualized images of real people,” said Graham Doyle, DPC Deputy Commissioner, as per a report in The Financial Times.
He added that the commission “has commenced a large-scale inquiry which will examine [X’s] compliance with some of their fundamental obligations under the GDPR in relation to the matters at hand”.
The inquiry will examine if X failed its obligations to keep EU citizens’ data safe from such “potentially harmful” uses.
Raids on X office in France and UK’s investigation into X, xAI
Ireland joins a growing list of companies that have knocked on Musk’s door. Earlier this month, investigators raided X’s Paris offices, and French prosecutors summoned Elon Musk and former CEO Linda Yaccarino for “voluntary interviews” in April. Meanwhile, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) launched its own probe last week, citing “serious concerns” about Grok’s potential to produce harmful content.
A separate investigation is already underway in the European Union (EU) under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which forces big tech to remove illegal and harmful material quickly.
Elon Musk has historically denied any wrongdoing, often citing his commitment to absolute free speech. However, following a massive backlash in January, X announced that it implemented new “technological measures” to limit the generation of explicit images.
Moreover, X dismissed the French raids as “law enforcement theatre” and “baseless,” claiming the investigations are politically motivated attacks on free speech.
