tech
January 26, 2026
Europe opens major probe into Elon Musk’s X after outcry over sexualized images
The European Union has launched a wide-reaching investigation into Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot on X following global outrage over its ability to generate sexually explicit images, including of children.
TL;DR
- The EU is investigating Elon Musk's Grok chatbot on X for generating sexually explicit images, including of children.
- The investigation falls under the EU's Digital Services Act, which mandates Big Tech to address illegal and harmful online content.
- X initially limited Grok to paid subscribers and later prevented the creation of revealing images of real people after global outcry.
- The European Commission is assessing if X properly evaluated and mitigated risks before deploying Grok's features in the EU.
- A previous fine of approximately $140 million was issued to X by the EU for violating the Digital Services Act through deceptive design features.
- Investigations into Grok's image generation capabilities have also been launched by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and UK regulator Ofcom.
- Grok remains banned in Indonesia and Malaysia due to the image controversy.