EU to investigate Musk's Grok AI over illegal content diffusion

The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot to examine whether it disseminates illegal content, such as manipulated sexualized images of women and children, within the EU. The Commission announced the start of this investigation today.

The investigation will determine whether Grok's parent company, X (formerly Twitter), has properly assessed and mitigated the risks associated with Grok's functionalities. Henna Virkkunen, the EU's tech chief, stated: "Sexual deepfakes of women and children are a violent, unacceptable form of degradation. With this investigation, we will determine whether X has met its legal obligations under the Digital Services Act, or whether it treated rights of European citizens - including those of women and children - as collateral damage of its service."

Scope of the investigation against Grok

The EU's investigation will focus on whether X has diligently assessed and mitigated systemic risks related to Grok's functionalities, including the potential dissemination of illegal content, such as manipulated sexually explicit images and child sexual abuse material.

The probe will also scrutinize X's compliance with its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA mandates that large technology companies adhere to specific rules regarding privacy, transparency, and social safety within the European Union.

To comply with the DSA, X must conduct and transmit an ad hoc risk assessment report on Grok's functionalities and properly assess and mitigate the risks associated with its recommender systems. This comprehensive review aims to ensure that X is taking adequate measures to protect European citizens from harmful content generated and spread through its platform.

This investigation complements a previous investigation launched on December 18, 2023, which focused on X's notice-and-action mechanism, mitigation measures against illegal content, and the risks associated with its recommender systems. Furthermore, on December 5, 2025, the Commission fined X €120 million for deceptive design, insufficient advertising transparency, and insufficient data access for researchers. Companies that breach the EU's Digital Services Act risk fines of up to 6% of their global annual turnover. The EU has also indicated that X may face interim measures if it does not make meaningful adjustments to its service.

X's response and regulatory context

On January 14, 2026, X stated that xAI, the developer of Grok, had restricted image editing for Grok AI users and blocked users in jurisdictions where it's illegal from generating images of people in revealing clothing. These measures were reportedly taken in response to concerns raised after Grok produced sexualized images of women and minors. The current investigation falls under this framework, ensuring that big tech companies comply with regulations designed to protect users from harmful content.

The EU's crackdown on Big Tech, exemplified by this investigation, has faced criticism and even threats of US tariffs, potentially antagonizing the administration of former US President Donald Trump. The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, also launched its own investigation earlier this month into whether X has complied with its duties under the UK's Online Safety Act. These parallel investigations highlight a growing global concern about the regulation of online content and the responsibilities of social media platforms to safeguard their users.