The European Commission has launched a formal investigation into X under the Digital Services Act (DSA), focusing on the platform’s recommender systems and the integration of its Grok AI chatbot after manipulated sexually explicit images went viral.
In a press release issued today, the EC stated it has opened proceedings to examine whether X adequately assessed and mitigated systemic risks arising from the deployment of Grok functionalities.
The probe centres on concerns that the AI tool may have facilitated the generation and dissemination of manipulated sexually explicit images, commonly referred to as “nudification” deepfakes, including content depicting women and potentially minors.
The investigation will scrutinise X‘s compliance with DSA obligations for very large online platforms (VLOPs), particularly Articles 34 and 35, which require rigorous risk assessments and mitigation measures concerning the spread of illegal content and harm to users’ fundamental rights.
Brussels officials indicated that initial evidence suggests these risks “appear to have materialised”, exposing European Union users to serious harm through recommender algorithms that may amplify or promote such material.
The move broadens an existing oversight of X under the DSA, following earlier requests for information and a preservation order issued earlier in January requiring the company to retain all internal records related to Grok until at least the end of this year.
Elon Musk’s xAI-developed Grok, embedded within the X platform, has drawn criticism for reportedly producing non-consensual sexualised imagery with minimal safeguards, in contrast to stricter content filters applied by other major AI providers.
EU regulators are assessing whether the platform’s design and algorithmic amplification contributed to the visibility of this content in European jurisdictions, where the creation and distribution of certain non-consensual intimate images is criminalised.
“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 DSA, or whether it treated rights of European citizens – including those of women and children – as collateral damage of its service,” said Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.
X has yet to issue a detailed public response to the latest formal investigation, although the company has previously defended Grok as a “maximum truth-seeking” AI with fewer restrictions than competitors. The EC may request further documents, conduct on-site inspections, or impose interim measures if non-compliance is suspected.
Should breaches be established, X faces potential fines of up to six per cent of its global annual turnover, alongside orders to alter its systems or recommender practices.
The case forms part of a wider Brussels push to enforce the DSA on US and other tech giants amid ongoing files against Meta, TikTok and others.
X, though, has been explicitly targeted since Musk bought the social media company from its main shareholders, including the Vanguard Group, BlackRock, Morgan Stanley. He subsequently got rid of certain figures in the then board, such as then-CEO Parag Agrawal and Vijaya Gadde, former head of legal/policy/trust & safety.
Musk mocked the board publicly, tweeting things such as calling Twitter a “glorified activist organisation” post-acquisition and highlighting internal docs via the “Twitter Files” that he said showed co-ordination with governments or favouring left-leaning censorship.
He reduced the company’s workforce by 80 per cent and improved its efficiency greatly.
We have launched a new formal investigation against X under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
It will assess whether the company properly assessed and mitigated risks associated with the deployment of Grok's functionalities into X in the EU.
Read more: https://t.co/CdgjpgPDi6 pic.twitter.com/vUBukIpPlo
— European Commission (@EU_Commission) January 26, 2026
