Ireland’s data protection watchdog has launched a probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X over AI chatbot Grok’s generation of sexualised deepfake images, the latest step of an international backlash against the tool.
Issued on: 18/02/2026 - RFI
The Grok logo, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by xAI, an American artificial intelligence company founded by South African businessman Elon Musk.
AFP - LIONEL BONAVENTURE
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said the “large-scale inquiry” concerns possible breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The investigation will examine “the alleged creation and publication on X of potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate or sexualised images involving Europeans, including children,” generated using the tool, the DPC said.
“The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether X complied with its obligations under the GDPR ... with regard to the personal data processed of EU/EEA data subjects,” it said.
AI deepfake concerns
Because X’s European headquarters are in Ireland, the DPC acts as the lead regulator in Europe for applying EU rules to the platform.
DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said the authority has “been engaging” with X “since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children”.
In January, several countries announced they were launching probes into Grok, increasing regulatory pressure and in some cases blocking the tool.
The European Union also opened a separate investigation into whether X met its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law designed to regulate large online platforms.
Regulatory pressure
Last month, X said it was restricting Grok’s image generation and editing features to paying subscribers.
Regulation of US tech companies, including X, has become a source of tension between the European Union and Washington since Donald Trump returned to power.
The Irish investigation comes despite repeated US threats of retaliation against enforcement of tech rules that Trump’s administration says target American companies and restrict free speech.
The DPC said it notified X on Monday that the investigation had been opened.
Contacted by he French news agency AFP, X had not responded by Monday evening.
The Irish regulator had already opened an investigation in April 2025 into X's use of certain personal data to train its AI models, particularly Grok.
(with AFP)
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) said the “large-scale inquiry” concerns possible breaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
The investigation will examine “the alleged creation and publication on X of potentially harmful, non-consensual intimate or sexualised images involving Europeans, including children,” generated using the tool, the DPC said.
“The purpose of this investigation is to determine whether X complied with its obligations under the GDPR ... with regard to the personal data processed of EU/EEA data subjects,” it said.
AI deepfake concerns
Because X’s European headquarters are in Ireland, the DPC acts as the lead regulator in Europe for applying EU rules to the platform.
DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said the authority has “been engaging” with X “since media reports first emerged a number of weeks ago concerning the alleged ability of X users to prompt the Grok account on X to generate sexualised images of real people, including children”.
In January, several countries announced they were launching probes into Grok, increasing regulatory pressure and in some cases blocking the tool.
The European Union also opened a separate investigation into whether X met its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a law designed to regulate large online platforms.
Regulatory pressure
Last month, X said it was restricting Grok’s image generation and editing features to paying subscribers.
Regulation of US tech companies, including X, has become a source of tension between the European Union and Washington since Donald Trump returned to power.
The Irish investigation comes despite repeated US threats of retaliation against enforcement of tech rules that Trump’s administration says target American companies and restrict free speech.
The DPC said it notified X on Monday that the investigation had been opened.
Contacted by he French news agency AFP, X had not responded by Monday evening.
The Irish regulator had already opened an investigation in April 2025 into X's use of certain personal data to train its AI models, particularly Grok.
(with AFP)
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