Ireland’s data watchdog launches a GDPR investigation into X over Grok’s alleged generation of non-consensual sexualised imagery, including of children.

DUBLIN: Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has launched a “large-scale inquiry” into X over its AI chatbot Grok’s alleged generation of sexualised deepfake images.

Acting as the lead EU regulator for the platform, the DPC announced the probe into potential breaches of the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on Tuesday.

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 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,” the DPC stated.

DPC deputy commissioner Graham Doyle said the authority has “been engaging” with X since media reports emerged weeks ago about users prompting Grok to generate such imagery.

The Irish regulator notified X of the investigation on Monday.

Contacted by AFP, X had not responded by Monday evening.

This new probe follows an existing DPC investigation opened in April 2025 into X’s use of personal data to train its AI models, including Grok.

The EU has also opened a separate probe into whether X met its legal obligations under the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA).

In response to the outcry over deepfakes, X said last month it was restricting Grok’s image generation and editing to paying subscribers.

Some countries announced probes into Grok or moved to block it entirely in January.

Regulation of US tech giants like X has been at the heart of growing EU-Washington tensions since Donald Trump’s return to power.

The Irish move comes despite repeated US threats of retaliation against EU tech rules, which Trump’s administration frames as attacks on free speech.

 The Sun Malaysia